Escape To Neverland
by Lethal-LadyD
Summary: Emma Swan spent her childhood as a lost girl, surrounded by pirate hooks, mermaids, and Pan's wild lifestyle. Now at 27, Emma is forced to return to Neverland to face her past and discover her future as a savior, a lover, and a lost girl. (Some chapters may be rated M)
1. Foster Homes

"Get out! You stupid little girl! Get out!" the woman yells, cradling a smug little boy in her arms. He has a black eye but is otherwise smirking, his hair being pet lovingly by his mother as she scowls at the foster child in front her. "And you will apologize to Neal this instant," She shouts. The little girl stares at the ground. Her lip is trembling but she keeps her mind focused on not crying. Above her head a light starts to flicker. The mother scrunches her forehead in confusion at the dimming light, distracted if only for a moment.

The little girl has pushed her hair back from her face now and makes eye contact with the woman in front of her. The light seems to have gotten brighter as the girl gains strength. "I'm very sorry," She says flatly, not looking directly into Neal's smug face as she says it.

"I knew you were going to be trouble. I don't think we have any other choice but to give you back," The woman says finally without any sign of kindness or remorse to the orphan.

The little girl says nothing to her because she has heard it before, she's always too different and too tough. And the mother can't put her finger on it but there is something more that threatens her in those little green eyes.

Instead the girl looks to the father who is sitting silently next to his wife. He is moving his watch back and forth on his wrist, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone in the room, but as his eyes meet the blonde child in front of him, he sees all the loss in her eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt him," The girl tells him. She says it as an adult, much older then her age. He nods and his son kicks him in the leg. A gasp of pain erupts from the father's lips and the light starts to flicker again.

"For god's sake George! Stop playing with your watch and say something! And fix that damn light!" The mother is losing her patience and Neal curls up to her, entranced by her hatred for anyone but him. The mother just smiles fondly at him, but the girl knows that the father sees him as the monster he is.

George looks to his wife and then to Neal, a look of disappointment covering his face. His wife raises her eyebrows at him and it only takes a look for the child to understand that he will never stand up to his wife. "We're sorry Emma," The father says at last, not looking into her eyes, but at the floor beneath him, "but this is how it has to be." The light begins to flicker wildly above Emma's head and she closes her eyes, hearing the bulb smash and the cries of her foster family as the room is plunged into darkness.

* * *

"Ha! I told you you shouldn't touch me," Neal taunts her as she packs up her things for her last night in the foster home. She still doesn't understand why some of these families sign up to be foster homes until she remembers that she is nothing more then a paycheck and an extra mouth to feed.

"And I told you that if you taunted me one more time I would knock your teeth in," Emma replies through her teeth. She's taller than him and he backs down as soon as she turns to him. Even at 12, her arms are jacked and she knows how to throw a punch.

"Go ahead. Hit me," Neal raises an eyebrow at her, knowing full well that she can't touch him without putting herself in more trouble then she already is, "You're weird. Something about you is weird. My mother said so," Neal continues and Emma pretends to throw a punch. Neal shrieks and backs away, just as Emma lowers her fist. She smirks a little. Sitting down on Neal's old bed she watches him scowl at her as he makes his way to his new bed on the other side of the room that they have come to share. "You made the light break," Neal says a matter of factly and Emma scoffs.

"Don't be stupid," She shoots at him, but she feels it to. She feels like she controlled it, but she wasn't about to admit her feelings to Neal. "I'm not stupid!" Neal shouts.

"You're right. What's below stupid?" Emma taunts him back and he throws something hard at her that hits her in the jaw. She grabs it in pain, looking down at the tiny marble that was marked for her pain.

"You're a psychopath. You belong with dogs," Neal sticks his tongue out at her and turns away from her. He reaches for the light and turns the room dark, not bothering to look back at Emma's shocked face as she moves her jaw back and forth, concentrating on the pain that has started shooting through her bones. She doesn't want Neal to see her cry so she waits, focusing on the pain in her chin rather then the words that had escaped his lips, until she starts to hear the slow breathing of a child asleep.

* * *

The sky was dark by the time Neal fully fell asleep, his mouth open lazily making inhuman sounds of a kid with sinus issues when Emma finally lets the tears run down her face. She lets a couple trickle down her face that had been at the edge of her eyes since that afternoon when Neal had pushed her down onto the cement and made her knees bleed, bullying her as he always did when Emma did what she'd always wanted to do and threw the punch that shut him up, even if it was only for a little bit.

No one had asked her if she was okay. No one put bandages on her knees or kissed them better and Emma hadn't expected them to. The tears come anyways, heavy and fast and she knows once they start they won't stop. She sobs through her eyes, letting her cheeks soak in the salt water of her tears, dampening the sheets beneath her. She slams her fists into her pillows and covers her face in her scratchy blankets that have never felt like home and she wants to scream but she won't.

"Please," She whispers in a broken voice to the empty air of her room. A little light had begun to peer onto the floor through the window and she crawls down her bed so she can look up through the glass at some of the little stars that twinkle in the night sky. She whimpers, holding on to her knees and pulling them close to her chest. One star in particular shines brighter then the rest and she wonders if there is a better place out there, a place where she belongs. "Save me," she asks the sky shakily, wiping some of the tears from her cheeks. She closes her eyes as she prays for a better life and a different world. The light of the star seems to shine brighter through the window as she asks, but she shakes her head and it has returned to normal. She tells herself she must have imagined it as she climbs back under the covers and hopes for a happy dream that she knows isn't possible.

It's a little past 2 in the morning when the star begins to shine brightly again, it's light pouring into the room. Emma's little body tosses and turns in the bed, her hair flying over her face as dreams turn into nightmares and nightmares turn into reality. She doesn't want to wake up but she doesn't want to dream. She huffs a little sigh and resigns to open her eyes.

The room seems brighter and she wonders if it is morning yet as she turns to the clock to examine the time. Not even close. She looks puzzled around the room, she can feel something is different. Something isn't right. A little thud sound catches her attention.

"You asked for a savior?" A voice whispers through the dark. Emma jumps up fast, throwing the blankets from her body, searching the room for the body that the voice belongs to. A little laugh escapes their lips.

"Whoever you are. I wouldn't mess with me if I were you," She glares her eyes around the dark room until she makes out a lanky figure that has moved in front of the window, leaning leisurely on the pane.

"Who are you?" She asks, moving cautiously towards the, what she has come to assume, is a boy of maybe 15 or 16.

"Don't you know?" He asks lightly, not too concerned with her fists that are raised between the two of them, "You asked me to save you a couple of hours ago Emma."

"How do you know my name?" She growls at him and he puts his hands up in defeat.

"I don't mean you any harm, Emma," He says knowingly and she must look confused because he takes her moment of confusion to move closer to her, closing the gap between them.

"Hey!" She yells but he only laughs at her.

"I make it my business to know everyone I help," He smirks at her. Emma lowers her hand slightly, taking the opportunity to fully examine the boy in front of her. She can make out his short, wild, light brown hair in the moonlight. He is rather good looking, she decides, but has scars that cover his arms and a dark green tattered shirt that barely fits him. She wonders how he got them or why he looks the way he does but he doesn't seem to notice at all, or care for that matter. Instead he has reached out his hand to her for a handshake, eyeing the sleeping Neal in the bed across the room, who is still snoring soundly. Emma looks worriedly at the hand.

"The name is Peter. Peter Pan. And I'm here to take you home."

* * *

Neal opens his eyes to a bright light and a cool breeze coming into his room that makes him shiver under his covers. He figures Emma has opened the window as a last resort chance to get back at him for throwing the marble and he rolls his eyes in annoyance. "Come with me," He hears an unknown voice whisper in the dark and immediately sits up in bed, turning to face the sound of the voice in the room. Emma is standing by the window, her hand outstretched in wonder towards another figure who is balancing out into the air, laughing to himself.

"Emma?!" He yells, watching her reach for a stranger in the dark. Emma and the stranger both look over at him and he catches a glimpse of the boy out the window.

"The decision is now Emma!" The boy shouts at her, holding out his hand. She looks nervously at the hand and looks back at Neal who shakes his head furiously.

"Emma don't do something you'll regret," He says. He sees her face turn red.

"There's nothing regretful about leaving this house. I don't belong here remember?" Emma says flatly. Neal barely sees her grab onto the boys before he is out of his bed and running to her.

"Emma stop!" He yells but Emma ignores him, pulling herself up onto the windowsill. The boy has a smug smile on his face and he raises his eyebrows to Neal in a _I think I jus won_ kind of way that makes Neal feel uneasy. He tries to keep moving towards Emma but is stuck standing paralyzed below the window, watching them balance on the edge of the house. The boy gives him a wink, before squeezing Emma's hand and nodding to her. He makes a leap from the window pulling Emma with him and she falls with a scream.

"No!" Neal yells, as Emma falls out the window, falling hard and fast towards the ground below her.

"You idiot!" He yells after her. He covers his eyes, unable to watch the series of events before him. He waits for a thud as they hit the ground but it never comes. After a couple of seconds Neal peers out from his hands, wondering where they could have gone if not the ground. His question is answered quickly as he looks to the sky and sees blonde hair moving easily in the wind, flying up to the stars, her hand firmly grasped in the teenagers hand, neither one looking back at Neal's stunned face as he watches her fly away.


	2. Trip to Storybrooke

A/N: _Thank you for the reviews and follows! I have a lot of plans for this story and I just hope you guys enjoy it! Thanks_

* * *

Emma sits on a blanket, leaning easily against a tree. Her long legs bent up in a criss cross fashion with a book resting easily against her knees. It's a nice summer day in Boston and she's glad for a break from her job today after working all week on a heavy caseload. Her job catching people as a bail bonds person involved a lot of hard work and exercise and Emma prided herself for being the best in the business, even when her legs ached with exhaustion as they did today.

It is still early morning and she feels herself yawning. She puts her book down, leaning back and sighing. Enjoying the peace and quiet, or as quiet as it can get, when alone in the city. "Tigerlily, huh?" A voice reaches her ears and she sits up, looking around for the voice. A tall man is standing above her, staring down at the book by her side. She's surprised at herself for not hearing him. He had hardly made a sound.

"Yup," Emma states blankly, fixing her thick-framed glasses on her nose that she only used for reading these days. She quickly removed them.

"Is it good?" The man asks.

"Yes but inaccurate. Peter Pan would never have left Neverland," Emma says and the man laughs even though it's a fact that Emma knows all too well. She raises her eyebrows at the irony.

"Mind if I sit with you?" The man asks and Emma looks up to examine him a little more closely. He is good looking, messy brown hair and dark stubble covering a little smile and dark eyes. He looks normal enough but Emma knows better then to trust anyone trying to pick up women in a park.

"Actually, I was just leaving," Emma says, smiling apologetically in his direction.

"Oh right. Well maybe we'll meet again one day," He smiles at her and she just nods, picking up her book and brushing herself off as she stands. She feels his eyes on her. At 27, most men are amazed to find out that she is single, calling her beautiful and perfect and everything that Emma has never seen in herself. She doesn't want him to look at her. She meets his eyes awkwardly and turns to walk away.

"Can I at least get your name?" He asks, reaching out for her arm.

"Uh, Emma. I'm Emma," She says distractedly, her eyes still looking towards the exit.

"I'm Baelfire," He nods at her and she momentarily forgets what she's doing. Looking confusingly at him, a little smile plays on her lips.

"That's your name? Baelfire?" She asks. He nods at her again.

"It wasn't exactly my first choice," He laughs.

"Well I'll certainly remember that," Emma laughs a little, "Anyways I should get going. It was nice to meet you Baelfire." He gives her a little nod, watching her walk away from him and away from Frog pond. He sighs as the blonde bobbing ponytail disappears from his sight and runs his hand through his hair. He takes a seat where she had been just moments before, the imprint of her body still carved into the grass. She'd be back. She'd have to be. He nods to himself and closes his eyes. This was going to be harder then he thought.

* * *

Emma tightens her ponytail on her head, holding her book by her side as she walks down the street towards her little yellow bug. She can't figure out why but the man had looked somewhat familiar to her. His eyes had something about them that made Emma think he was hiding something and she makes a mental note in her head to look him up on Monday when she gets back to work.

For now though, she makes her way to her car, sliding into the seat and sliding her key into the ignition. She has to hurry if she's going to make it the four hour trip to Storybrooke, Maine before two. She only makes the trip once every couple months, not wanting to seem obvious to the townspeople in that area to her presence but she had not been since late winter and she was eager to stop there again, her fingers practically itching with need. Looking out into the road to check for traffic she speeds off, away from the man hitting on her in the park, and into a different mindset entirely.

* * *

She keeps her mind busy throughout the drive, focusing on the narrow roads in front of her that wind and turn on her way into Maine. She knows she is getting close when the houses start to disappear and all she can see are woods for miles. It's there in the middle of nowhere that she starts to see the townline. The Storybrooke sign passes her car window as she speeds into the town and she looks down at her watch that reads 2:35 pm. Perfect timing. Emma slows down as she starts to enter the downtown area of the town. She looks up familiarly at the clock above the library that is stuck at 8:15 and wonders per usual why no one seems to want to fix it.

The school is only about a five minute drive through downtown and soon Emma can see into the playground where kids are about to be let out the doors and to their parents. She parks her car near the entrance but she doesn't get out, just looks at the doors and waits.

A couple mother's pass her, not giving her any notice, their eyes focused on each other as they cackle over something girly and stupid, Emma decides. Another woman passes her within a couple minutes and Emma ducks down from her, noticing this woman in particular, but again seems to go unnoticed by the woman. She is dressed in a silk button-up top and a tight business skirt, her dark, almost black hair hanging in a perfect bob around her face. Emma stares at her, watching her walk with purpose to the outside of the school and slipping on a jacket as she waits. There is no smile on her face, no sense of happiness and Emma almost feels bad for the woman. Almost.

She hears the bell ring and looks out in time to see kids running out of the doors, their little legs wobbly as they run towards their parents. All of them have big smiles on their faces and are laughing and playing with the kids around them. Emma knows the one she's looking for won't be in that crowd. A couple kids begin walking out of the school after that, including one in particular. _Henry._

Emma can feel her hands tingling again and she holds her breath, watching her son stroll out the doors. He's still little, only 9 years old, but he has already changed so much since the last time Emma saw him and she does nothing but stare at him. He has a mop of dirty blonde hair on his head and blue eyes that hold much more then the typical child. He's smiling a little, holding a book in his hands, not seeing a need to run out the doors as the other kids do.

Emma watches him interact with another woman with a short, dark pixie haircut and a flowery dress, which she believes to be his teacher. The woman smiles at Henry, pointing at something in the book he's holding and then nodding to his mother who hasn't noticed Henry's presence yet. When Henry notices her though, he stashes the book away into his bag and smiles widely at his teacher giving her a big wave before running over to his mother. The teacher looks very sweet, her cheeks almost glowing in pink. She's seems to care about Henry and Emma smiles, happy that he has people who care about him in his life.

The mother holds her son in an embrace and says something into his ear that makes him smile. Emma takes a deep breathe, trying to control her breathing and opens the car door, purposefully walking past the woman. She's not sure what made her get out of the car, she just wanted to be closer to him somehow. The family has started walking down the side walk in Emma's direction and she takes a deep breath as they pass.

"Hello madam mayor," Emma smiles at the woman, who gives her a little nod in return. The little boy looks up at her in interest and Emma feels her breath hitch. He had only spoken to her twice before, once saying hi as his mother pushed him past the crowds of mothers, and once in the library when she had "accidentally" bumped into him and helped him find a book for his class. It was a moment worth waiting for and Emma kept her expectations for these trips extremely low.

"You look familiar," He states.

"Henry. Come on now," The woman looks apologetically at Emma but Emma just smiles down at her son, trying to keep her hands from shaking.

"I come here a couple times a year. Visiting an old friend who works at the school," Emma explains hoping he doesn't try and read further into her story.

"Well if you're a friend of Ms. Blanchard you're a friend of mine," Henry beams at her, holding out his hand for her to shake. She smiles brightly at him and gives him a little handshake. Ms. Blanchard must be his teacher, the one with the pixie cut and pink cheeks, Emma decides and nods at Henry.

"Yes. ," Emma responds, deciding it better to go with it then to make up another name.

"You come and go from this town?" The woman asks, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Yes… I believe anyone can," Emma looks quizzically at the woman who seems preoccupied in other thoughts. She thinks she hears her mumble something about checking the town line but focuses again on Henry.

"It was very nice to meet you.." Emma fake pauses, waiting.

"Henry. I'm Henry," He smiles at her.

"I'm Emma," She nods at him before his mother comes back to reality.

"I'm sorry. It has been a pleasure but we do have to go," The woman nods, not seeming to care if Emma says good-bye, pushing past her and pulling Henry with her who waves innocently.

"Bye Emma!" He yells and she sees his new mother looking down in disapproval at Henry's outburst. She wants to punch her in the face but knows she could never do that. She could never do anything. The words _closed adoption_ appeared in her head and she shakes her head clean before she can think about it too hard.

If there is one memory she could never forget it was Henry's birth. The lights flickering wildly as she screamed bloody murder. She had refused to look at the child, knowing she wouldn't go through with the adoption if she looked into those eyes. She had only been 18, barely an adult, with no money or home, and the father nowhere in the picture. He didn't even know he had a son. But then Emma had never really stopped looking for Henry since. She had always hoped to see him again and then a couple years ago she had found him, going through papers in city hall, under the name Henry Mills, living in Storybrooke, Maine to a single mother named Regina Mills.

She had told herself not to come but inevitably couldn't resist it, needing to know if he was okay and safe. It was only supposed to be one trip, but one look into those eyes and she knew she'd come back forever, if only to see him grow up, even if it was only for a little while.

She smiled to herself and hugged her arms over her chest as she made her way back to her car, she had talked to him today and nothing could take that away from her. Reluctantly, she slid her legs back into her car, glad that she had decided to wear jeans and a tank top today, since the air had gotten hot but her leather car seats would be burning on her bare legs today. She didn't want to drive back yet, it was too long of a drive just to turn around and head back, so instead she decides to head to Granny's, a little diner that the locals enjoyed, and hoped that she could catch another glimpse of Henry before she left.

* * *

Granny's was quiet this afternoon, only a few people scattered throughout the restaurant, and Emma makes her way to the counter. She orders a simple sandwich and fries and sits scarfing down her food at the bar.

"Want a drink with that?" The waitress asks and Emma looks up to meet a girl with big brown eyes and dark red streaked hair.

"Just a water, I have to drive home tonight," Emma says to her, still eating her sandwich.

"What a shame," The girl laughs to Emma and Emma nods back, laughing a little in response. She didn't have many friends back in Boston. She had never really had many friends at all, besides Neverland. She shook her head, she didn't want tot think about that now.

"I don't want to be blunt or anything but you don't look familiar to me," The girl comments.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm from Boston, just visiting for the day," Emma brushes the comment off, used to the weird vibes of the people who live here. She had never met anyone else like the people in this town.

"Oh wow," The girl seems genuinely interested, intrigued by Emma who starts to shake her head.

"You guys don't get a lot of people from out of town, huh?" Emma asks and the waitress shrugs.

"We don't get anyone from out of town," The girl admits before grabbing a cloth and wiping the counter clean. Emma hands her plate to her and the girl just throws it into the sink, not bothering to really clean it.

"Ruby! Stop chatting and start working!" An elderly woman yells from across the restaurant to the waitress now rolling her eyes in Emma's direction.

"I should take off anyways," Emma smiles at her handing her money for her bill and standing to leave. Ruby grabs her hand as she takes the money.

"Come back, okay? You're like the first non-boring person I've met in years," Ruby whispers.

"I will," Emma nods and Ruby smiles at her, releasing her hand and moving back to the counter, where the elderly woman is still yelling her name.

Emma walks out of the diner and hops into her bug. She had wanted to stay and see Henry again but the hype of seeing him had started to fade and she remembered why she only makes these visits every couple of months.

He had looked good and happy and Emma hoped that he was. His eyes had met hers like she often dreamed of them doing. But she had given up that right. She had given up a child she will never get back. A child she will never be able to raise. Something her own parents had done to her when they had left her alone on the side of the highway with nothing but a blanket with her name embroidered into the side. She didn't want to think about it.

Emma sighed loudly, covering her face in her hands. It was time to leave. She didn't look back as she drove through the town, past the clock still stuck at 8:15, past the school, and past the mayor's house where a little boy sat on his windowsill, watching a stranger leave the town.


	3. Welcome to Neverland

Emma holds Peter's hand tightly and he smiles at her. "Don't worry Emma. You're safe with me," He says to her and she looks uneasily at the ground that is getting farther and farther away from them. The wind is picking up and her blonde ringlets are flying back from her face. Her eyes are forced shut and she blames the wind that is blowing at high speeds.

"Open your eyes," Peter whispers to her.

"I can't. I... I'm afraid of heights," Emma whispers back and she can here Peter laughing.

"And that is why you must face it! You're a lost boy now and lost boys have no fear!" Peter shouts proudly. They speed up, flying towards the sky. Emma opens her eyes, looking down at the ground. "Why are you so calm?" She asks him and he just looks at her.

"Look up, Emma," He says as an answer and she looks up confusingly, until she sees it. Beaming bright and strong is the second star to the left.

"And straight on 'til morning," Peter says, as if reading Emma's thoughts. She smiles at the star. "The start of a new beginning," Emma whispers and Peter squeezes her hand, helping put her mind at ease.

"I am a lost boy," She says to herself, "And a lost boy is never afraid."

She sees the bright light and they start speeding up, warmth filling their bodies. She can feel herself spinning in the air and holds on tight to Peter as they go through the portal.

* * *

"We lost them!" Smee yells down to the crew, his little round belly bouncing as he runs around the ship. The Jolly Roger heads full throttle around Neverland, the whole crew on the search for the lost boys who had thrown coconuts at them from the trees. Just another day in Paradise.

"Leave them," The Captain yells, leaning easily against a barrel on the side of the deck. His eyes are focused on a spot on his hook where his left hand should have been, his mouth yawning absent-mindedly towards his crew.

"But Captain!" Smee yells, trying to regain his balance when he turns to face him.

"Pan's not with them. They're just foolish children on their own," Hook says dismissively as Smee runs back to him.

"Yes Captain. Of course," He says, nodding wildly to his superior who just rolls his eyes. Hook looks off into the distance and sighs, bored and alone, his short dark hair spiking up in the wind. Both men stand in silence when they hear a loud crack. "What the hell was that?!" The Captain yells.

"He's back!" Smee says, pointing up. The whole crew looks to the sky, where Pan has appeared, holding the hand of yet another lost child.

"ON YOUR FEET!" Hook yells, suddenly alive and ready. His hook is gleaming on his wrist, his eyes filled with hatred.

"FIRE AWAY BOYS!" He yells, laughing wildly as the men start shooting at the lost boy who has ruined Hook's life. Cannons fire toward the teenager. The two children cry out as they dodge it.

Hook watches on with enjoyment seeing the reckless teen circling the ship trying to avoid being hit. He taunts the Captain to throw more. "Is that all you got, Captain one-hand?" Pan raises his eyebrows, his eyes gleaming with mischief. The Captain pulls his sword from his belt. He was so sick of that smug little face. "Afraid to fight me, Pan?" Hook smirks at him. He wondered how he would slice Pan up, maybe by the neck to let him bleed out. Hook's bright eyes gleam with desire and he takes a step forward.

"Peter?!" A little voice yells from the side of the ship. Both boys looked over to where a little girl is trying to fly on her own, falling onto the deck with a grunt. "What the…" Hook looks confused at the girl, almost missing Pan as he flies to the deck in a flash. Hook turns his sword on him, threatening him to move closer. "Please. She needs me," Peter says. Hook narrows his eyes at him before turning to look at the little girl.

"It's a girl Captain," Smee comments, confused.

"Yes Smee, I can see that," Hook rolls his eyes and lowers his sword from Pan's neck. He jumps at the chance to move forward but Hook grabs him by the neck, pulling him close to him. "Get her off my ship," The Captain growls through his teeth before throwing him back on the deck. The little girl is having trouble standing up and he walks over to her, offering her his hook, his other hand still holding onto his sword in case Pan wanted trouble, which he always did. She just looks at the sharp piece of metal, her mouth open in shock.

"It's just a hook, love... And it's bad form to deny a Captain," Hook stares at her and she blushes a little as she pushes herself up, holding onto his replacement hand for balance. She nods to him as Pan runs to her.

"You left me up there, Peter!" She looks incredulously at him.

"Get used to it darling," Hook whispers to her and she looks quizzically at him. If only she knew what he was capable of, but then again there Pan was with his arms around this girl, helping her steady herself and whispering apologies into her ear.

"Smee?" Hook yells back to his crew member.

"Yes Captain?"

"Is there still a lying cheat of a child on my deck?" He asks.

"Yes Captain," Smee replies.

Pan's ears perked up and he holds Emma a little tighter.

"That's what I thought," Hook spits, aiming his sword towards Peter, "You have a lot of nerve landing here, but I've always welcomed a new head for my trophy case," Hook smirks at him. He jabs his sword at Pan who pushes Emma out of the way and pulls out his own sword, a small sharp blade tucked into his waistband.

Emma watches in horror as the boys aim their weapons at each other. She can tell Hook is more experienced, his hand looked comfortable in the swords hilt. He takes the first step, throwing a swipe of his sword at Pan who dodges it, flying back into the air with a cackle.

"What's the matter Pan? Can't fight me without magic?" Hook yells up to him, spreading his arms wide, just waiting for the lost boy to attack. Pan just laughs, falling back onto the deck and running straight for Hook, dodging the swipe of his sword. Emma screams, watching Pan's sword make a stab at the Captain.

Hook stops it with his hook and throws Pan backwards so he falls on the deck, his feet scrambling to push himself back. Hook aims his sword at Pan's throat.

"Out of tricks already, are we?" Hook smirks, his eyes gleaming with a need to kill, a need to feel redemption. He can feel the blade pressing against his neck and smirks, feeling at ease with a weapon against his enemies skin. Peter just smirks back. "Not yet Hook," He snears, looking for a way out. It's only then that Hook sees the little girl running towards him. She's quiet but not quiet enough and he turns as she pushes herself between his sword and Pan's throat.

"Emma no!" Peter screams to her but she ignores him.

"You can't hurt him," She stares at Hook. There's fear in her eyes but it's small, a lot less then he usually sees in any new lost boy Pan brings to Neverland. He lowers his sword, his eyes meeting hers. "You just can't hurt him," Emma states.

"As you wish," He nods at her and she looks stunned at him.

"Really… That's it... You'll let him go free?" She asks.

"He'll never be free from me, love," Hook says and he narrows his eyes at Pan, "But I'd rather have you on my side. After all, I am a man with a code."

Peter pushes himself up, grabbing Emma and pulling her behind him. Hook winks at him. Peter takes the pause in the fight to push himself off the ground, holding Emma's hand tightly. "Don't miss me too much this time okay Hook?" Pan laughs. When they are up about 30 feet they hear the boom of a cannon and Hook laughing loudly below them as a cannonball flies between Pan's legs.

"Peter what's happening? Who was that?" Emma asks him as he pushes them higher, away from the crew of pirates below them.

"Haven't you ever read or have been read my story? Or heard of Neverland? Of the deadly Captain Hook?" Peter looks surprised at her and she shrugs an apology.

"Adults don't talk to me much… about anything. I'm not really the "read a story at bedtime" kind of child," She says, looking away from Peter's face. She doesn't want to see pity in his eyes.

"Adults," Pan spats instead, "Useless waste of space. That's what makes this place so special Emma. Here you are a child forever! Once you're home here, you no longer age." He beams with pride as they fly over a ridge of mountains and start to lower to the ground.

"What do you mean you stop aging?" Emma asks in amazement.

"Here, your heart will stop beating, your body stops aging, but you'll just feel at piece. A child forever," He closes his eyes, remembering, Emma presumes, his own awakening when he found home here. She likes to think she is home.

They land where water crashes onto the beach and a thick forest of trees lean across the sand, casting shadows across the island. Peter lands easily on the ground, while Emma fumbles with her footing without any help from Peter. She admires the view, her mouth hanging open in wonder at the amazing view before him, filled with possibilities.

"Come on," Peter presses on, heading for the forest, "the boys will be waiting for me."

"The boys?"

"The lost boys," Pan laughs a little and Emma feels her face flush in embarrassment for not understanding.

"No girls?" She looks at him quizzically and he laughs again.

"Oh there are girls here, just not the ones you'd usually see," Pan's eyes glance at the water and he laughs at a joke Emma doesn't understand. She looks over to where he glanced, at first only seeing the waves crashing, but then she sees a dark glowing tail flip out of the water and she wonders what creatures live under the waves. She feels uneasy as she follows Pan into the forest.

* * *

A fire blazes far above usual and the boys are all screaming and fighting by the time Pan weaves his way into the hidden camp, pulling Emma behind him. She gasps at the group. They are all mostly teenagers, she guesses between 13-17, a couple of younger boys probably around 10, and no girls at all. She squirms a little, she can handle her own and she knows that but she'd rather not have to.

"Tootles is the youngest and most outspoken," Peter whispers to her pointing proudly to the 10 year old "Nibs is the bravest, Slightly the most imaginative, and Cubby the most mischievous," He laughs, "Those are the twins, Marmaduke and Binky, they are the proudest among us," Peter says, pounding his chest.

"Who's that?" Emma points to one of the older boys, sitting in the shadows behind the rest of the boys. He's carving a small wooden statue with his knife, his face looking grim and serious. A large scar goes down the side of his face and he has feathers in his long, matted, hair.

"That's Felix. My most loyal companion and the best lost boy I could ask for!" Pan yells triumphantly. Emma smiles at him. She likes how much he cares for his friends.

"Come on. It's time for them to meet you. And give you a name of the first lost girl," He winks at her and she blushes. He makes her feel embarrassed, or cared about, or unnecessary she really wasn't sure.

"Boys! I've brought you a guest and this is how you introduce yourself? Look presentable!" Peter yells to the gang of boys who continue fighting, laughing a little until they see the seriousness across his face.

"Yes Pan!", "Of course Pan!", "Presentable it is!" The boys all yell as they scramble to line up, each with their hand behind their back and another on their belly as if about to bow to their leader. Pan pulls Emma up on top of a rock, presenting her to the pack. She imagines them howling at her like wolves, reminding herself that they are just children like her, escaping their own misfortunes.

The boys stared at her, mumbling to each other. "Is this the way to treat your sister?!" Pan yells at them, and they grumpily bow, at the whim of Pan's wishes. She wonders quietly if they listen to him out of fear or love for their leader and watches Peter smirk at her. She wonders if she too fears or loves him, already feeling like a lost boy. But she could feel the distaste in the air, the mumbles about bringing a girl into the camp. She lowered her head but Peter slipped his fingers under her chin, picking her head up. "Prove yourself," He said and she nodded to him, standing tall against the pack of boys. She just hoped that they accepted him.

Peter said they did, as the fire started again, and the boys went back to roughhousing, with Emma sitting in the corner unseen. At least she thought she went unseen, Felix's eyes glancing to her every so often. He knew something was wrong with her arrival. He grunted watching Peter sit next to her, offering her food.

"What's wrong? You don't like her?" Nibs nudges Felix, nodding towards Emma.

"Why should I like her? She is nothing more then an ugly duckling, she'll never belong here," Felix spits.

"Ugly duck," Nibs laughs, looking over at the awkward 12 year old and shaking his head in disapproval.

* * *

"Get up Duck!" The boys run past her, pushing and shoving their way into the woods, their hands filled with spears, knives, and bows and arrows. Peter throws a bow and arrow into Emma's hands. " You heard 'em. Get up Duck. Prove yourself," Pan smirks at her and she sits up, her hair flying wildly over her face.

"Duck?"

"You're new name. You're old life is dead Duck. This is home now," He says proudly and she stands, grabbing the bow and arrow between her fingers.

"Uhhh, you have a gun?" Emma asks.

"We're not pirates, Duck. Lost boys don't use guns," He spits bitterly, pushing her into the forest and she starts running, following the crowd of boys. Bare feet hit the ground hard, sounding like a pack of animals trampling through the trees. The rustle of the branches and the crackle of leaves heard loudly and she wonders how they can possibly hunt making so much noise.

As if reading her mind, the boy in front of Emma, Slightly she thinks, pulls himself up easily into the branches. She looks up and sees all the boys pulling themselves up and quieting their feet. She passes branch after branch, each one being grabbed by a boy. She looks around for a free one, a bright green branch flies in front of her face and she grabs it to pull herself up. "Ah!" She screams, looking down and seeing blood dripping down her hand. She can see pricks lining the branch and hears snickering from above.

Felix and Cubby snear at Emma from above, holding down the branch, Emma grabbed onto. "Better hurry Duck, or you'll fall behind," Felix cackles and Emma watches the boys run farther into the woods, jumping from trees and grabbing branches, howling to each other.

"We told you girl's couldn't keep up," One of them laughs as they take off.

Emma sighs, her feet still on the ground, her hands bleeding from the palms. "Peter?!" She yells, but no one answers and the boy's howls are the only thing she can hear. She runs after them, trying to keep their voices in range. She knows that she could have kept up with them had they not sabotaged her.

The farther she runs though the more spread out the voices get and she yells in frustration. "PETER!" She yells again, hoping he notices she's not in the group anymore and comes back to save her.

She hears silence besides the rustle of leaves in the trees. "Pan…," She whispers to no one in particular. She feels a tear fall down her cheek and she wipes it on her hand, wincing when she touches the cuts on her palm.

She can hear water hitting the beach nearby and decides to walk that way, pushing her way through the bushes and branches hanging in front of her face. If she has no where to go, she might as well get some water.

The sky is getting dark and she wonders how long she has been here already, time moved so differently here then she had ever seen before. The beach is empty and quiet and she takes a seat alone on the shore, holding her bare feet close to her chest. She looks around. She has no idea how to get back, or where she is, and she doesn't evencare. She just sits, and waits, for what she doesn't know. She just needs water.

"Hello little lost girl," A high pitched voice whispers across the water and she feels goosebumps crawling over her skin as her hand dunks under the waves.

"Who's there?!" She yells, pulling her feet closer to her body and pulling her hand out of the waves. Her hair whips around her face in the wind, covering her eyes from the hands reaching up from the water.

"Get off!" Emma yells as the hands grab at her ankles. She kicks at them and they fly back. Giggles fill the air and she looks up at the black eyes peering at her from the water. "What's the matter lost girl? Afraid of a little competition?" The black-eyed creature pushes herself out of the water. Her fish like skin clawing at Emma. She sees the long glowing tail from earlier, attached at her hips where her legs should be.

"Peter!" Emma screams, over and over again, pushing her body back on the beach. She hears Peter running before she sees him and watches the girl's black eyes transform in front of her.

Dark piercing eyes turn to a beautiful purple, her skin to a dark, clear, brown, and her hair turning into a silky black mess of curls and frame her young face. "What's the matter Duck?" Pan yells to her, slowing down as he gets closer, his eyes meeting the mermaids, who now looked beautiful beyond repair, while Emma sits there filled with dirt, her hair all over the place and her eyes swollen.

"Hello Peter," The mermaid giggles flirtaciously at him.

"Hello Ursula," Peter nods his head at her, giving her a dazzling smile. Emma just looks on in horror.

"Peter, she tried to pull me into the water…" Emma shakes her head in disbelief, as the mermaid twirls her hair in Pan's direction.

"Come on Duck, she's just messing around," Pan laughs, giving in to the mermaid's wishes.

"She could have drowned me," Emma says again, crossing her hands over her chest.

"Duck…"

" Emma," She whispers quietly.

"What?"

"Emma. My name is Emma," She repeats, louder this time. She picks herself up and moves back to the forest, where darkness has started to set into the surrounding areas.

"Come on, Emma. Be a good sport," Pan laughed following her up the beach and leaving the mermaid to yell behind them, calling Pan back to her. Emma turned on her heels, staring into Pan's eyes and shoving her cut open palms into his face. "This is from your friends… My "brothers"," Emma spits at him. Peter shakes his head and just lowers her hands.

"They're challenging you Emma… Push back. You wouldn't be here if I didn't think you were tough enough to challenge them back," Peter gives her a little smile. Emma shrugs a little, unconvinced.

"Come on, Emma… Give this a chance. Give yourself a chance," He holds up her palms, giving them a kiss. Emma blushes a little.

"You're going to be okay, Emma."

"I know that," She nods at him, and he reaches out to her, leading her back to the camp.

"You're the toughest girl I've ever met," Peter admits to her and she looks at him quizzically.

"Well you haven't met many girls, have you?" She laughs and she hears him laugh back.

"No I guess not."

* * *

"No one grows up here!" Marmaduke yells to the group of boys over the firepit, Peter and Emma still hadn't returned after Peter ran off to find her, leaving the pack to hunt by themselves. Of course they had caught a boar, and only at the cost of Nibs's tooth. But now they were back at camp, awaiting Pan's arrival, and screaming at each other as they chew.

"None of us are growing up!" Cubby yells back.

"There's something different about her though!" Marmaduke yells back.

"I don't understand," a couple people yell, confused by the conversation.

"If you belong here, you will not age," Felix says in a monotone voice, his hands still carving away at a piece of wood. He rolls his eyes at the naive children.

"I think she's pretty," Tootles smiles.

"Because you've never seen another girl," The boys taunt him and he quiets down.

"She's not like any other girl on this island… I hear it… At night, in the silence, I hear it," Binky shakes quietly.

"Hear what?!" Tootles asks.

"Her heart," Felix replies, finishing Binky's sentence. Some of the boys gasp and Tootles looks confusingly around the group.

"What about it.." Tootles says.

"It's beating," Felix says, crossing his hand over his own heart, or where he assumes it lies, since his first night in Neverland, when his heart had stopped, and he was welcomed home.


	4. Meeting Baelfire

Her eyelids feel heavy on her eyes. It's late and getting dark by the time Emma pulls up to her apartment. She yawns loudly and rubs her eyes, exhausted from the toll of her day in Storybrooke and the driving back and forth. She sometimes spent the night there but she had had enough of it for one day. She just wanted to be home. It takes 10 minutes for her to finally make it up the stairs and slam the door to her home behind her.

Her apartment is small but tasteful with nice beige walls and hard wood floors that she secretly enjoys clicking her heels on every time she gets a little tipsy on her nights off. Her own paintings are hung up along the little hallway to her living room and kitchen, each painting filled with images from her past.

Her eyes glaze over the rough paintings of mermaids, wild fires surrounded by young boys all dancing around the flames. Past those are images of a blonde haired little girl standing on the deck of a ship holding a sword up in triumph and a picture of a bleeding heart with a short sharp knife stuck through it.

Emma breathes easily moving past the art. It had been years since she had hung those pictures up. At first she felt her heart beat out of her chest every time she saw them, but now she just feels numb when she walks past. She wasn't sure what made her keep them up but every time she tried to take them down something seemed to stop her. As if there were outside forces trying to keep her memories of Neverland alive.

Tonight she just looks at them, letting her fingers slide over the glass before she kicks off her boots and pulls her leather jacket off of her shoulders. An image of Henry's new mother pops into her head with her fancy outfits and business only attitude and she looks down at her jeans and tank top, shrugging. She could take her, regardless of outfit choice, she decides.

"She looked like a bitch anyways," Emma mutters to herself, moving down the hall into the kitchen. The cabinets are nicely stocked with food but she's not hungry, still filled from her early dinner at Granny's. She tells herself that it is the only reason she's not eating, ignoring the knot in her stomach that had been there since she left Storybrooke. She misses her son already. The knot tightens at the thought of Henry's smiling face next to his new mother's. She shakes her head clear. _Not right now._

She pours herself some wine and moves to her room where a little black and white cat is curled up in her covers. She's glad she's not completely alone. "Hi there kitty kitty," Emma whispers to the little cat, going to pet her. She needs to hug something right now. Unfortunately, the cat jumps straight off the bed and out of the room, meowing loudly.

"Alright… rude," Emma shoots at the cat, which ignores her. "Yup that sounds about right," She shakes her head as she chugs her glass of wine and slips into her pajamas which consist of basketball shorts and an old v-neck shirt with a picture of a donut on the front.

At the time she had thought it was funny since she worked in law enforcement. In actuality she had never worn it out of the house and never planned to. She climbs under the covers, her muscles sore and tired from her week at work and she sits in silence in the dark, her hair nuzzled into her pillow. Quietly she falls asleep, curling into her own body and imagining another pair of hands holding her tight in the darkness. She smiles at an old memory of a certain pair of arms tangled around her stomach. If only.

* * *

Emma walks briskly down the street, fixing her skirt and hair as she walks. "Hey Tigerlily!" someone calls out to her as she passes them. Emma was running early and had decided to walk to work that morning, passing through frog pond since it was a nice day and she had the time. Plus she usually enjoyed the sounds of peace and quiet that the park somewhat gave to the surrounding city. Today though, there was not a lot of peace and quiet.

"Uhhh….you," Emma stares at the man walking leisurely towards her with a big smile on his face. It had been almost a week since she had seen him and yet there he was, in the same place she had left him. He looked like he had been waiting for her and she wondered if he had been waiting and for how long. "You already forgot my name, huh?" The man raises his eyebrows at her, looking a little hurt.

"Not yet. Baelfire, right?" Emma smirks at him.

"Good job Tigerlily," He laughs, looking a little relieved and she shakes her head, continuing her walk and pushing past him.

"Oh oh my god. You're name is Emma isn't it? Wow this is awkward," He covers his face dramatically, "I really thought it was Tigerlily."

"Oh did you?" Emma laughs, still walking through the park. He continues to follow her.

"No. No way. I couldn't forget you if I tried," He laughs it off easily and Emma looks a little taken aback at his forwardness. He looks embarrassed though and seems to turn to apologize. She gives him a puzzled look, keeping her hand in her bag, where a thing of pepper spray is hidden from his gaze.

"So have dinner with me?" Baelfire asks awkwardly, looking away feeling stupid, Emma was sure of it. She laughs by accident. He looked like he couldn't even control his words he was so flustered. She feels bad for him.

"Oh my god I'm sorry, that was just… Wow. You really don't waste any time do you?" Emma laughs.

"Um… That actually wasn't what I was going to say… but it is what came out of my mouth," Baelfire replies, actually turning red with embarrassment.

"Well I'm flattered. Honestly. But…I'm not really dating right now, I'm sorry," Emma looks at her feet, shuffling them nervously, she hates disappointing people but she wasn't that easy.

"Emma please," He looks at her and Emma sees desperation in his eyes, a need that she hadn't seen in someone in years.

"Why is this so important?" Emma asks, honestly curious to know what made her so special to him.

"I just… I don't know. I just like you," Baelfire laughs and the desperation disappears from his eyes. Emma lets go of the pepper spray in her pocket and rubs her hand over her face.

"Listen…" She starts but he cuts her off.

"No no I'm sorry. This wasn't at all what was supposed to happen, I just go through this park in the mornings and afternoons on my way to work and I've seen you a couple times here... It took all my courage to actually go say hi to you," He laughs, "I'm sorry I'm so forward. I've just been wanting to do this for awhile." Baelfire gives her a shy smile that warms her heart and she smiles back.

"I mean…," Emma sighs, she didn't like dating people she didn't know, especially strange men she just met in the park, but he looked so familiar and held no jail records in the system as she had found out earlier that week in her search. In fact, his name hadn't even come up at all.

She shakes her head, she had no idea what she was doing. "Alright fine, let's have dinner," She says finally and he smiles at her. A genuine smile that makes her laugh. "Alright, I'll see you tonight then," He says and she nods before he decides to walk away, giving her a little wave before leaving. "So do you want my number? Orr…." Emma yells back and laughs as he hits himself in the face and runs back to get her number. He's cute, she decides, and she likes his clumsiness. It's a bit of a change for anyone else she had ever been with. She says goodbye to him and watches him walk away before she continues her walk to work, a little happier then she had been before.

* * *

"I hate you," Emma looks at the giant file that falls onto her desk before looking up at her boss. A tall, handsome, curly haired Irish man named Graham.

"I know," Graham replies, brushing off her comment, "But you're going to do your job anyways so better get used to it." Emma rolls her eyes as Graham continues talking. "The man's name is Walsh. Detained for violent behavior and embezzlement and then failed to show up for his court date," Graham laughs, "Man people can be great huh?" Emma raises her eyes to him and Graham laughs a little at her, giving her a thumbs up as he moves back into his office. She sighs.

Emma spends the next couple of hours going through his file, memorizing his facial features, and finding out his usual hangout spots before she heads out. "If I die, you know what to do," Emma says sarcastically to Graham on her way out of the office.

"Steal all of your stuff?" Graham replies.

"Already promised my stuff to Elsa actually," Emma says pointing both hands at the little blonde girl across the office, "Also I'm borrowing your car. Thanks!" Both hear Elsa scream "WOO!" from her desk when Emma walks out.

"Damn it Elsa! Wait you're taking my car?" Emma hears Graham yell as the door shuts behind her. She shakes her head in fake annoyance for her co-workers but runs to Graham's car before he could take it away from her. She had walked to work but she was not going to walk to a client, especially one that could be armed and dangerous.

"Alright Walsh. Where are you hiding?" Emma asks herself, heading out into the street to search the town. She decides to head to a garage called "Wicked Witch Wheels" where almost all of Walsh's accomplices work and where she suspects Walsh is hiding out under a false name.

She had changed at the office into a tight short skirt, high heels, and a top that barely covered her boobs. She had an idea of how some of these people operated and many of them gave in to the simple batting of a woman's lashes and a little swing of her hips. Emma takes a deep breath as she drives Graham's car into the garage, which seems to be placed in one of the most rundown parts of the city.

Emma frowns at the surrounding areas, she hated arresting people from these types of areas, understand their struggles more then most people and understanding their need to break some laws over the more privileged families out there. She had been one herself. Unfortunately, this was her job, and Walsh was dangerous.

"Hello Miss, What can I do you for?" A burley man asks her, raising his eyebrows and giving her a fake smile. He already gave Emma the creeps.

"My car is making this weird like clicking noise," Emma says, shrugging her shoulders and batting her eyelids at the man, "It's like… I don't even know. I think it might be this metal thing." She opens the hood up and leans over it, lifting one of her heels off the ground and bending her hips over. "I just can't seem to figure it out," Emma says, looking over her shoulder to make sure the man's eyes are glued to her ass. They are. She rolls her eyes at how easy they are. "Yes ma'am, I can take a look for you but we do charge $200 dollars for an inspection," The man shrugs and Emma tries to keep her jaw from falling open in ridiculousness. _You've got to be kidding me._

"Uh actually I have a friend who said you could maybe help me out for free?... His name's Walsh," Emma asks, searching his face for any type of recognition.

"Sorry, I don't know anyone by that name," The man replies simply. His eyes kept on the floor, avoiding her gaze.

"No? He said he used to work here?" Emma said confusingly.

"What I meant is that his type of work is not accepted here anymore," The man says, keeping his eyes off of her face, his feet shuffling nervously around.

"Thought you didn't know him…," Emma crosses her arms, watching him squirm. She didn't understand why Walsh would put this guy in charge when he was as dumb as a door nail. A couple other guys in the shop started to look up to see what was going on. Emma takes the opportunity to scope out the garage, looking for Walsh's brown messy hair and long pale face.

"Where is he?" Emma asks the man and he looks up at her. Emma tries to smile after, hoping she could came off as a worried lover or friend. The man doesn't buy it and starts stepping closer to her, closing the gap between them. She realizes why he was put in charge and suspects it has more to do with him being able to break heads then to actually use his head. "What did you say you're name was again?" He asks her and Emma keeps her hand oh her thigh, where her gun is hidden below her skirt.

"I'm just an old friend," Emma says.

"Yeah…Walsh doesn't really have a lot of friends," He looks quizzically at her.

"Well he was mine," She says, pretending to be offended by the comment. She can feel his breath on her neck and it sends shivers down her spine. "How about we become friends instead," The man lips his lips and Emma swallows hard. She can't see Walsh anywhere and the space between her and this man is closing rapidly. "I'm sorry I need to…I need to go," Emma says, trying to move away from the man but he grabs her arm, pulling her back.

"Where are you going sweetheart?" He asks, "We're just getting started." The other men have moved closer to them now. One of them moves over to the entrance to the garage, locking the door.

"Oh fuck," Emma whispers to herself. She feels someone's hands on her back and spins around, pulling the gun out on them. "Don't fucking touch me," She spits threw her teeth.

The man laughs at it but the original man screams, realizing what the gun actually means.

"She's a cop! Get him out!" The burly man yells to the back and she sees Walsh's mess of dark hair being pushed out the back of the garage. "Stop right there!" She yells. She pulls her feet out of her heels and runs barefoot to the backdoor. A big guy, with arms covered in tattoos tries to grab her and she shoots right above his head making him take cover, covering his bald head with his muscle filled arms. "Idiots," Emma shakes her head at them as she runs out after Walsh. He's disappeared, people flooding the streets and covering all tracks. His mess of hair blends into the crowd of morning worker's that regularly invade the streets of Boston and she curses under her breath.

Instead she runs back into the garage and hops into Graham's car. "Open the garage," Emma spins the gun on the man from earlier who's eyes are still kind of glued to her ass. "Really?!" She yells.

"Fuck you," He spits on her and she shoots between his legs.

"OPEN THE GARAGE!" He nods wildly and runs to open the doors, the gun still pointed at his head. She pulls out into the street but it's too late and Walsh is gone. She slams her fist against the steering wheel, swearing loudly. At least he was in the city and his accomplices could be watched from here on out, she was sure they would make a slip up. She just had to wait a little longer.

"You let him get away?" Graham grunts over the phone, sounding overwhelmed and overworked.

"Look I got this covered. He's still in town and he's still hiding out somewhere. He knows that we'll be watching any big money transactions from him and his friends. He's not going anywhere," Emma states back, calming her boss.

"Alright just take care of this please," Graham adds, "I don't like him lose on the streets, especially when his friends consist of gross older men." Emma sighs, frustrated once again and she says goodbye to Graham. She wasn't going to find him out on the streets in the next couple hours and she knew that. Instead she decides to head home and do some more research on him before her date later that night. She sighed again, just now remembering that she even had a date. She needed to focus on work. Maybe she could do both.

* * *

Emma slips into jeans and some flats, her hair falling in big curls down her back over her white, sleeveless silk top and she hopes she looks okay enough for her dinner with Baelfire. She decides to put some actual make-up on to make herself look decent but the truth was, she didn't have any expectations for this date. In fact she wasn't even considering this a date anymore.

She had managed to find Walsh's favorite place to eat by worming her way into reading his latest bank statements and found a restaurant called the poison apple that had come up repeatedly. She rolls her eyes at the name. It sounded horrible but of course she had decided to drag Baelfire there and pretend it was her favorite restaurant. She had a feeling it wouldn't be that fun of a date.

Baelfire knocks on her door within the next couple minutes and she stands up, putting a fake smile across her face and answering the door.

"Wow, Emma you look lovely," Baelfire smiles brightly at her and she smiles back at the compliment.

"So do you," She replies, trying her best to be polite but he did actually look quite nice, wearing a grey crewneck sweater and a simple pair of khakis. He had a flower in his hand that he hands to her. "I brought this for you," He mumbles. Emma takes it giving him a little thanks. "You're so sweet," Emma says, feeling guilty already.

"So is there anywhere you'd like to go for dinner?" He asks her. She wants to say no and follow him to whatever restaurant he wants to take her to. She wants to enjoy a nice night with him but she has a plan and she can't bail on it now. Not when she has a job to do.

"Would you mind if we tried out this place called the poison apple?" Emma asks, biting her lip when she says it.

Baelfire coughs loudly. "Uh… Are you sure? That place is uh…an interesting choice," He says.

"You know it?!" Emma asks him wildly.

"Yeah…," Baelfire gives her a weird look and she wonders if she's picked the creepiest place in Boston.

* * *

She has. She follows Baelfire into the pub, looking around the bar. It reminds her of the pub in the movie Tangled, but she has a little fear that these men won't be singing anytime soon. Some of them turn to them as they walk in and Emma wonders why it's always the crazy men who's eyes seek her out.

"C'mon I'll get us some drinks," Baelfire whispers to her, keeping his arm around her waist as they walk up to the bar and order some beers. The men across the room are still looking at Emma and she holds on to Baelfire's arm.

"So. Why here? Are you wanted for murder or something?" Baelfire asks, looking around the bar.

"Hey you knew exactly what bar I was talking about!" Emma shoots back, "For all I know you could be the murderer."

"More like a thief," Baelfire says, taking a sip of his beer and Emma's mouth drops open.

"Really? You? A thief?" Emma asks, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Hey believe what you want! But I used to be a bit of a rule breaker," He smirks at her and she rolls her eyes.

"Well… me too," She says quietly and it's his turn to drop his mouth open in disbelief.

"No," He says.

"Yeah," She laughs, "I was also a bit of a rule breaker."

"Well good thing we found each other, huh?" Baelfire smiles at her and she blushes a little. He's nice and sweet and she's actually enjoying herself as she sips on her beer. The men are still looking at her though, all talking quietly among themselves.

"Why are those guys still looking at me," Emma asks, trying to avoid their gaze.

"What guys?" Baelfire looks around, trying to find the people she's looking at. She nods to her right, where one of the men is starting to move closer to them.

"Oh my god," Baelfire whispers, moving his chair back.

"I know, It's weird right?" Emma says.

"No, Emma. They aren't looking at you. They're looking at me," Baelfire pushes his seat back and grabs Emma's hand, throwing some money on the counter.

"Come on," He whispers urgently, pulling her to the door. The men look around the place before following them out the door, taking their time. Emma looks back at the group of men. In the very back of the group she seems the mop of brown hair. _Walsh._

"Baelfire…"

"Just come on," He pulls her out the door. It's windy outside and getting dark and he expects Emma to curl into him since she's only wearing a tank top, but one of her hands stays permanently behind her back. He keeps moving forward, unaware of Emma's hand on her gun tucked into her pants.

"Where do you think you're going?" A man's voice appears in the dark and Baelfire pushes Emma down an alley next to the bar.

"Come on, come on, come on," He yells desperately and Emma starts running, not fully understanding the situation in front of her. The group of men open the back door to the bar, pushing out as Emma and Baelfire pass past the door. One of them grabs at him, missing, but another grabs hold of his collar and pulls him back.

"Get off of him!" Emma screams but the men take no notice of her. She throws something at one and they turn to whisper something to another. He moves toward Emma to grab her too. She reacts instinctively, pulling the gun from her pants. "Don't. Touch. Me," Emma spits at the man. She sees Walsh make eye contact with her.

"YOU!" She yells and he puts his hand behind his back, grabbing for his own weapon. She reacts quickly shooting at his arm. Realizing too late that he wasn't reaching for a weapon. The bullet misses his arm, or where his arm was just a second before. Hair has started to grow where his shirt was. The fabric ripping apart in front of her. His whole body has grown and Emma stares around at the group of men, backing up against the wall at the end of the alley. All of their clothing is starting to rip off their body, mounds of hair growing in their place. They've all started to grow, their bodies outgrowing their skin, which transforms before her eyes.

"What's happening?!" She yells to Baelfire who's running between them.

"Stay there!" He yells back and he picks up a pipe. The creatures start to walk towards him, screeching. Walsh has spread giant wings that have grown out of his back and Emma screams. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Come on!" Baelfire yells to the flying monkeys all moving towards him. They start to run, trying to tackle him but he swings at one, hitting it square in the face and he falls on the ground, turning to dust before her eyes. He swings at another one and another one, the crack of metal hitting bone heard over and over again as Baelfire atta back. Walsh just cackles when Baelfire moves towards him. He takes a swing and Walsh just grabs the pipe, pulling it out of his hands.

"What's wrong Neal? Having some issues with the boss?" Walsh raised his eyebrows at him, his claws slamming Baelfire back against the wall.

"Bite me," Baelfire spits at him.

"Neal…?" Emma asks quietly. Walsh laughs loudly and Baelfire pulls something out of his pocket. It looks like a jelly bean and Emma stares at it for a second. She has seen it before.

"Who are you..?" Emma looks at him and he just stares at her, breathing hard.

"Emma, when I say so, I need you to shoot at his heart. Not anywhere else. Got it. His heart," Baelfire says seriously, struggling with the claws around his neck.

"EMMA!" He yells at her and she looks up with a start, her mind drifting back, trying to figure out exactly what's going on. She breathes heavily, and sees Walsh's claws dig into Baelfire's shoulder. He screams in pain.

"SHOOT HIM EMMA!" He yells and Emma does it, she hears the gun go off and blood spurt out of Walsh's chest, his body falling backwards as he screeched in pain. Baelfire throws down the bean at their feet and Emma watches in horror as the portal opens below her, pulling her down into a vortex.

"I'm not doing this!" Emma yells to him and he shakes his head.

"I'm sorry. But it's not your choice anymore," Baelfire yells and he jumps at her pulling them both into the vortex as Walsh turns to dust in the alley above them. Emma screams as they fall. Circles passing around her vision, other worlds swirling around her brain and she closes her eyes, as the familiar view of mountains, forests, and crystal clear waters come into sight. _Neverland._


	5. Dealing with Pirates

_A/N: Just wanted to say thank you to my readers and for the awesome reviews! I love reading them all and will get back to people if they have any questions or ideas or anything like that. I'm pretty amped about this story so I just hope people like it. Thanks guys!_

* * *

Tootles and Emma sat next to each other in the sand. They both hold sticks from the forest and use them as pencils to wrie in the sand. Emma finishes up her writing.

"Alright. So what does this sentence say?" Emma asks him, pulling her hands out of the way. At 14, she has found that a lot of the younger children have started to look up to her, Tootles especially. In fact, he had started to hang on to every word she said and hold her hand when he got scared. To Emma's surprise, she had began to enjoy playing the part of the older sister.

"Uhhh… My name TOOTLES! That's me!" Tootles yells excitedly pointing at his name in the sand.

"Yes but you missed a word…" Emma laughs, pointing to the 'is' between name and Tootles. He just stares confusingly at it.

"So whattt?" He sighs frustratingly, throwing his head back.

"Tootles if you're going to learn to read you need to learn properly," Emma crosses her arms and Tootles sighs loudly, falling back in the sand.

"I don't want tooooo. I' m boredddd," He whines, rolling back and forth in the sand. Emma rolls her eyes but lets him keep rolling.

"Fineee, we can stop," Emma says quietly and Tootles jumps up excitedly and hugs her.

"Yay! Thanks mom!" Tootles says naturally and Emma laughs in surprise. She's still considered a child in the real world, but not here. In fact, she was getting older every day. Peter told her that when she reached the right age, she would freeze like the rest of them, but she could still put her hand over her chest and feel the beating of her heart, just as strong as the day she had arrived and she wondered why she hadn't frozen yet.

"My name is Tootles?" Peter reads from behind her, strolling around to sit where Tootles had been moments before. "Emma I'm afraid to tell you this but… You are not Tootles," He says slowly, holding on to her shoulders so she was looking at him. She pushes him away.

"Emma. Emma. You can't stop living in this illusion!" Peter yells, ignoring her shoving at him.

"Shut up Peter," She says and Pan raises his eyebrows at her.

"Why don't you make me," Peter whispers.

"Don't tempt me," Emma laughs, going back to wiping her writing from the sand.

"Make me Duck," Pan shoots back at her, knowing how much she hates the nickname. She narrows her eyes at him and he stands up, moving farther down the beach.

"Don't make me fight you Pan!" Emma threatens and he just raises his arms out, waving her on.

"Bring it!" He yells back and Emma stands up, running at him and yelling at the top of her lungs. He shakes his head laughing and she knows she looks ridiculous but she keeps running.

Her long hair was tied up into a crazy wild ponytail with long feathers stretching through the strands. Her simple t-shirt and shorts were tattered and brown with dirt and sand, a vine tied around her waist to keep her shirt from flying up and her shorts from falling down. She looked like a lost boy, but with curves and a bright red-lipped smile that couldn't be matched by any lost boy. Peter smiles at her as she runs at him. She wonders a little if he's smiling because he likes her or because she looks just as wild as every other lost boy.

"Ahhhhh!" Emma yells as she tackles him but he stays standing, shaking his head.

"Is that all you got Duck?!" He laughs, pushing her off of him. She falls back in the sand with an ooph. She growls at him and kicks her legs, getting him in the shin.

"Ah! That's a low blow!" Peter kicks her legs back and she grabs for his ankle, pulling him down in the sand.

"Ah," He says, trying to stand back up.

"Ha! I got you now!" Emma says, out of breath from fighting. She pulls herself on top of him and pins his arms to the ground.

"I win," She smirks and Peter just nods, thinking.

"So, the little lost girl thinks she's won," He taunts her and her smile fades. He gives her a little smirk before he pulls himself on top of her. He is quick and strong and she sighs as he pins her arms down on the ground.

"Sorry Emma," He pouts at her, "Maybe next time." He winks and she feels her face getting hot. He still has her hands pinned in the sand and she grunts in annoyance.

"Alright. Get off," Emma pushes him off of her and his smile fades a little.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to…" He starts.

"No I know. Relax," Emma laughs it off, getting up and brushing sand off of herself. She gives him a little nod before walking back to the group of lost boys, where everyone had started cooking their latest kill, a boar, over an open flame on the beach. Peter stays where he is, watching her walk down to the group.

They're all sitting around, exhausted from hunting all day. Emma was only allowed to come hunting every once in awhile after her first day hunting when she got lost and attacked by Ursula the mermaid.

She didn't mind sitting out, she didn't really enjoy killing anything, but she had gotten a lot faster and more nimble then she was at 12 and the boys had let her come as long as she didn't hold them back, which she never did.

Felix sits in the corner as always, throwing things over the fire so that they land close to her, one piece of wood hitting her in the chest. She moves farther away from the fire, deciding that it's better just to deal with Felix's behavior then to confront him. He had never warmed up to her and she wondered why Pan even let him treat her so badly.

She looks down at her legs. Scars cover her skin from all the torture these boys had put her through as a result of Felix's orders. She shrugs, looking at a scar across Felix's arm that she had given him in retaliation. She smiles at it proudly. She has earned her spot at this fire and she'd be damned if Felix ruined that for her.

"Alrightt spending the night at the beach huh?" Pan smiles at the boys as he takes his place next to Felix.

"We should've brought the food back to the camp," Felix adds, annoyed.

"Relax Felix, everyone's having fun. No need to ruin it," Pan laughs but Felix stays silent, his eyes traveling across the edge of the ocean water, searching for the skull and cross bones of the Jolly Roger. Emma looks out too, but with less worry in her eyes. They could take pirates, especially when the captain had a soft spot for her.

The sky was getting dark by the time they start eating, though, she looks over to the forest, unsure if they'll be able to get back to the camp. "Um, guys. How are we going to get back…" Emma asks but the boys all seem to shrug in an uncaring way. "Guess we're sleeping here tonight," Emma says, sighing loudly and looking out at the water. There were a lot of unknown creatures within these waters, and she didn't care to find out what they were.

"Maybe we should head back… or at least find the best place to sleep for the night," Emma whispers to Marmaduke, who ignores her and walks away. "Really? No one wants to find…" She trails off, realizing no one is listening to her. Felix laughs to himself. She sighs, hoping it's her imagination playing tricks on her when she looks out into the water, seeing a sail on the horizon.

She waits until the fire is almost out before heading to sleep. All the boys were passing out in the sand, unafraid of anything and everything. She walks up to sleep by the forest instead. "I wouldn't do that if I were you Duck," Felix whispers in the dark and she jumps, unaware that he was even still up.

"Why?" She asks him and he chuckles.

"Would you rather be taken by pirates or wolves?" He smirks at her and she tightens her jaw, turning back to the water to lay down a little farther then the rest of the boys, just to prove Felix wrong and wipe that smug grin off his face. She keeps her eyes on him as she falls asleep. Seeing him stay up right by the forest line, shaking his head at the group. She hopes she hasn't made a mistake, but she feels a knot in her stomach telling her something is wrong. She's just not sure what that is.

* * *

Emma awakes with a start. A hand is covering her mouth and she tries to yell out. "Shh!" A man's voice reaches her ears, making her kick harder against them, trying to fight them off. It is still dark and there are no other sounds around her. The boys still must be asleep. _Or gone._ She looks around frantically, trying to find help, her gaze finding the white sails of a ship.

"No!" She tries to yell, to no avail.

She feels rope around her arms and tries to scream again. "Fight and I'll tie these tighter, lass, that's a promise," She hears the rough voice of the dreaded Captain Hook.

"Pass her up," Someone else whispers and Emma looks around as the Captain pulls her to the ship, tossing her up to the crew. She tries to kick again but it's useless. "She's… still… fighting us, Captain," She hears Smee say between breaths as he tries to keep her calm.

"Then knock her out," Hook says simply and Emma screams in protest, feeling a sharp pain in her temple as she falls to the floor.

* * *

"Rise and shine lass," Emma hears and she opens her eyes. Her vision is fuzzy and her head hurts but she is surrounded by something soft. She looks around, finding herself covered by a cozy blanket and she instinctively pulls it closer around her. She looks around her environment.

She's inside, on a plush chair. There's a wooden desk in front of her with a sword encased at the edge and a stool in the corner where Smee is sitting quietly. She's still on the ship, she decides, since she can feel the rocking of the waves below her bare feet. Hook is standing next to her, pouring something into a glass. "My head hurts," She says quietly, covering her head in her hands.

"Well then you shouldn't have struggled," Hook says simply, handing her a glass of water, which she downs quickly. Hook watches her as he moves towards the desk. This must be his office, Emma decides.

"Take me home," Emma says steadily, her eyes glued to the pirate.

"And where is that, love?" Hook raises his eyebrows at her.

"I… It's..."Emma stares at him in disbelief.

"You think you belong with them, do you?" Hook asks, nodding to the window, where Neverland's islands can be seen a distance away.

"My home is wherever Peter is," Emma spits through her teeth and she sees his fingers curling into a fist. She's glad that makes him upset.

"Don't say that name on my ship," The captain says, his jaw clenching.

"Why?" Emma tries to stand and Hook snaps to Smee to hold her.

"LET ME GO," Emma screams but Hook just chuckles.

"WHY AM I HERE, HOOK?!" She screams and he looks up at that, his brows furrowing. He crosses his arms across his chest.

"Really? Even the lost girl calls me Hook? How flattering," He winks at her and she blushes.

"What else would I call you? Captain one hand?" Emma asks back and he actually gives her a confusing look before shaking his head.

"Why am I here…" Emma asks again.

"Don't worry lass, it's nothing personal. I want Pan, Pan wants you. It's really only a matter of trading goods," He smirks at her.

"And what if it's another lost boy," Emma laughs but Hook just laughs right back.

"You really don't see how important you are? The first lost girl? A girl who flickers the lights on my ship while she's knocked out! A girl who has less fear then any lost boy I have ever seen … You're quite the asset, Swan," Hook says, looking rather impressively at her.

"Duck," She says back.

"Excuse me?"

"My name's Duck. Not Swan," She says, looking annoyingly around the room.

"Hm, you look more like a Swan to me," He replies nonchalantly, focusing on tightening his hook around his cuff. Emma just looks at him quietly, trying not to smile in front of him. She doesn't want him to know that she likes the nickname better then her own.

"Well, this has been a pleasure, Swan, but I do believe I have a lost boy to kill. Smee if you would watch her, try not to let her kill you," Hook smirks at Emma who blushes a little. A crash can be heard from the deck.

"Right on cue," Hook smiles, holding his sword in his belt as he walks out.

She can hear some of the lost boys as they chant, throwing stuff up on the deck. She smiles a little when she hears their screams. She runs to the window and sees Felix, sitting in a little boat off the side of the Jolly Roger. He looks tired from paddling and Emma is surprised that he even came.

Smee grabs her. "I'm sorry. I need you sit back down or… or I'll get in trouble," Smee says quietly and Emma rolls her eyes before pushing him off of her. She may still be little but Smee is easy to overtake and he falls over, stumbling on the chair Emma had been in moments before.

She looks around for a weapon, seeing the sword encased on Hook's desk. Smee is standing up when Emma decides to smash the case, sending glass all over the floors of the office and into her hand. She groans a little in pain but grabs the sword anyways, flinging it at Smee. "Woah!" Smee puts his hands up, backing up against the wall.

"I'm going to leave the room. Don't try to stop me," Emma says, backing towards the door, still aiming the sword at Smee.

"He'd kill me if something happens to you," Smee says, his voice shaking.

"Well it's not anyone's job to protect me. The only person who saves me is me." Emma pushes open the door. The lost boys are running loose around the boat, the boys carrying slingshots, arrows, and spears, fighting against swords and guns in the hands of pirates. Hook is standing at the end of the deck, fighting off lost boys easily, continually looking up to the sky. His brows furrowed as he looks for Pan. Emma moves past everyone quietly. She too looks for Pan, who seems to be nowhere in sight. No one has seemed to notice her yet and she takes the opportunity to get closer to Hook. He's still staring into the sky when Emma sneaks up behind him, masked by the sounds of fighting across the deck.

She aims her sword carefully so it will go straight through Hook's back and right through his heart, her eyes focused on aiming the sharp blade and keeping it steady in her hands. "Go ahead," Hook says and she jumps before looking up and meeting his eyes that are staring down at her.

They are mesmerizingly bright blue, almost matching the sky above him, but Emma feels a pang in her heart when she stares at them. There is so much loss and pain within his eyes, more then she had ever seen before in a human being and she can't look away from them. Her arm is still pointing the edge of a blade into his back and he turns to her, lifting the sword so it is right above his heart.

"Kill me Swan," He says again, waiting patiently as if he knows that she won't do it. And it's true, Emma can't move, her arms frozen into the gold encrusted handle. She knows his voice is teasing her, but she's not stupid. She could always read people's eyes like a book and he wanted it. He wanted to die.

"Your eyes…"

"Are none of your concern," Hook growls at her, trying to keep his calm.

"What did he do to you?" She whispers and she sees his face twitch a little.

"That. Is not you're business lost girl," Hook says again, pushing the sword away, "especially one who doesn't even have the courage to stand up to a pirate." He turns away again, staring frustratingly above him to where Peter would have been had he arrived as planned.

"You're not a pirate," Emma scowls at him, "You're just as weak as everyone else. Asking a child to put you out of your misery." Hook growls, grabbing his sword and turning to her but she's ready.

"You know nothing of misery Swan," He says to her, swinging his sword in her direction. She's been practicing though, with sticks and spears with the lost boys and she knows how to move her feet. She hits his sword away as she moves, trying to find a weak spot in Hook's fighting style.

He has none, his body moving perfectly with his weapon, dodging her jabs easily. She sees him push his sword into her hand, not able to stop it and she drops her weapon with a yelp, grabbing at her already cut up palm.

She's too distracted to feel the captain's shiny hook grabbing at her ankle, pulling her legs out from under her. She falls to the ground in pain. He's standing above her and Emma tries to grab at the sword but Hook pushes it farther away with his foot.

"I know misery," She whispers to him, "I know what pain is." She isn't lying and she sees some of the anger in his eyes disappearing for a second before he shakes his head.

"He took my wife," Hook spits between breaths, pushing her farther into the ground with his sword, "He took my hand," He says, scratching her arm with his sharp hook, "And now I'm going to take something of his." Hatred has replaced all the pain in his eyes and Emma tries desperately to escape his grasp, screaming for help.

"You're a monster! This isn't how you are going to escape Hook!" Emma yells at him and he scowls.

"You have so much to learn. Like that revenge is the only way to truly stop a crocodile," Hook shakes his head and pushes his sword away from her so she can push herself down the boat, moving away from him. "But don't worry, lass. You'll live another day. Not with Pan nowhere to be found. Besides, I have better things to do then babysit a child while she yells at me," the Captain raises his eyebrows at her and she feels her face flush in anger, "No. When you die. I want him to watch."

"Not if I kill you first," Emma shoots back at him and he looks rather impressed.

"Deal," Hook says reaching out his real hand to her. She just looks at it.

"It's a handshake, love," He says and she shakes it making sure he doesn't reach for another weapon. Instead he pulls her up off the deck and pushes her to the side of the boat. She holds on to the railings. The lost boys have noticed her now and are moving in fast.

"Until we meet again Swan," He smirks at her.

"Hook," She nods back.

"I prefer Killian Jones. More proper don't you think?" He winks at her and she looks at him confusingly as he backs away from her, letting the lost boys run at him, "Until next time Lost girl," Killian yells to the deck before he kicks at her. Emma grabs at the railings, screaming as she falls overboard, hearing the boy's jumping after her and Killian Jones laughing loudly from his ship above her as she splashes into the water below her, sputtering for air.


	6. Returning to Neverland

Dread fills Emma's stomach. It's darker here then she remembers and the sounds of the wild seem eerie than before. She covers her ears to escape the sounds of wailing. She knows that they are the sounds of the youngest lost boys, crying to go home. She had never heard a sound like that before.

"Emma? Are you okay?" Baelfire yells and it sounds like a mile away. She doesn't want to open her eyes and when she does her vision comes in and out, affected from the fall. She's happy to have it that way. She doesn't want to see everything. She doesn't want to see anything.

"No… no. I can't be back here," Emma mumbles, feeling a tear coming down her face, "Why am I back here?!" She feels weak against the sand and she just stays there, closing her eyes and covering her face in her hands.

"Emma…" Baelfire breathes her name, running up to her from wherever he landed when they came through the portal. She can hear his footsteps pushing through sand and turns away from the voice.

Keeping her hands over her eyes she peers through her fingers, not wanting him to see her cry. Instead she keeps staring at the spot where the portal was, hoping it will return. She knows it won't. That's not how this works.

"Emma…" Baelfire says again.

"what?" She asks bitterly.

"Emma, I need to…"

"Duck. My name's Duck here. I think you know that," She says, keeping her voice level and flat so there is hardly any emotion in her voice. Hardly.

"My name's..."

"Neal," Emma finishes, cutting him off at every turn.

"No. No my name actually is Baelfire," He says.

"Why should I believe you?" Emma says, more violently then she expects but she can feel her anger building inside her and she's not sure how long she can contain it.

"I can explain everything," Baelfire says and Emma sits up, staring at him, at his features, trying to figure out if he really is who she thinks he is. Those eyes look so similar to her in the darkness of Neverland.

"You know me." She states and he doesn't deny it, in fact he doesn't say anything. She pushes herself out of the sand and moves toward him. He's taller then her but she knows she can look menacing when she's mad. He looks down to her and she's glad that she's wearing her tank top that shows off her arm muscles. She wants him to see them. To be nervous by them. He doesn't move.

"Did you give me this scar," Emma points to her jaw, where there is a small outline of a scar from being slammed against pavement.

"…yes," Baelfire replies quietly. Emma nods, her fingers curling into a fist.

"And this one?" She asks again, pointing to another one above her eyebrow. He nods. Emma raises her eyebrows, nodding to him, her lips tight and thin.

"You saw me leave with…him," Emma says, feeling her stomach twist at the thought of Peter Pan. He nods again, tears at the edges of his eyes.

"Fuck you," She spits at him.

"You don't understa…" Baelfire starts, feeling a sharp pain in his jaw as Emma's fist makes contact. "Ah!" He buckles over in pain.

"Don't tell me," Emma repeats, standing over him, "You've come to ruin another part of my life?" She feels tears pricking at the edge of her eyes and she shakes her head in disgust.

"I never ruined anything," Baelfire shoots back and Emma yells with disdain sending her foot into his side so he wiggles in the sand, trying to put some distance between them.

"You ruined everything!" She screams at him.

"Emma stop!" He yells but she's on top of him, hitting him over and over again. He's screaming for her to stop but she won't, or she can't and she feels the blood on her hands as she hits.

"You bastard!" Emma screams, letting out her frustration on his bones. She feels a rough crack below her knuckles when she hits his nose and blood spurts down from his nostrils like a faucet. She stops, breathing heavily and listening to him wail. Looking down at her knuckles, she can see the cuts on them from hitting him so hard. She feels a pang of regret for sinking to his level. He bleeds badly into the sand, sputtering for breath. Emma gets up, looking away from him. Her cheeks are soaked in salt water and she crosses her arms, covering her hands, which are swelling quickly from the fight.

"Emma… fuck. I think my nose is broken," He puts his fingers up, trying to stop the blood. There's so much blood. Emma bites her lip when she sees him. She really did do a lot of damage and his cheeks are swelling even faster then her hands. Maybe she had done more damage then she intended to do but she still wasn't going to let him win this. She couldn't. She grabs a handful of his hair in her palm and pulls his head back so he's looking at her.

She's strong and upset and she has so much built up anger for the man in front of her. The man that made her cry herself to sleep as a child, the one who got her kicked out of her home. The reason she escaped for the first time, and the reason she was stuck here now. But she wasn't evil. She didn't like to hurt people.

"My nose!" Baelfire keeps yelling.

"Sh," She says, pushing his hands out of the way and taking hold of his nasal bone in her fingers.

"No please! No!" Baelfire actually screams, trying to push her hands away.

"Do you want me to fix it or not?!" Emma shouts, staring into his eyes. They go wide with surprise but he goes silent, letting her set the bone in place with a disgusting crack. He curses the moment it happens, grinding his teeth together. Blood pours out of his nose and she lets go of his hair, watching him fall into the sand. Baelfire turns his back to her and she wonders if he's crying. She sighs and reaches into her pocket for a cloth or something that he could hold over his nose. She finds a stash of napkins and hands them to him.

"Are they poisoned or something?" Baelfire shoots at her. She stashes them back in her pocket and turns away from him.

"No! No I want them, I'm sorry," He apologizes and she throws them at him.

"Why am I here Neal…"

"I told you. It's Baelfire," He says.

"I knew you when you were 12 and it was Neal," She looks annoyed at him. _Doesn't anyone here go by their actual name?_ She thinks but she doesn't say it. Waiting for him to explain.

"I'm not from here… or there… I was born in the enchanted forest," He says, waiting for her to gasp but she just looks more confused.

"Which is…?"

"Another realm, like this one," Baelfire says looking around his surroundings.

"There are no other realms," Emma laughs at him. Peter would have told her, he wouldn't have kept a thing like that a secret from her.

"Of course there are… Or at least there were," He looks down, debating how best to continue, "The enchanted forest was taken over long ago by powers beyond our control. There was the Dark One, the Evil Queen, The Wicked Witch… you couldn't imagine what life was like. They destroyed my world with a curse that would ruin everyone's happiness. I was one of the few people that escaped with my memories," Baelfire explains. She still looks at him in disbelief.

"I was transported to the real world… to you," He looks at her, hoping desperately that she is listening.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Don't you know? Emma you're from the Enchanted Forest," Baelfire says and she actually laughs. And not just a chuckle, she really laughs, throwing her head back she's laughing so hard.

"Just stop! Stop lying to me!" She laughs and he looks worriedly at her.

"No. No. I'm not!" He starts but she's not listening, still laughing loudly in the sand.

"I'm from the real world, Baelfire… or Neal or whatever your name is! You're crazy! I have no reason to believe anything you have to say to me," She shakes her head, giving up any hope of getting answers from him.

"Emma, would you just listen for a second?! I was trying to help you! I needed you to get out of that foster home. It was vital to the plan!"

"Yeah well you certainly got me out… and I have the scars to prove it! You think you're doing me a favor? Fine. You did help me. You helped me realize what a psychopath you are," Emma said, backing away from him. Her heart was racing through her chest and she needed to get away from him. Now. She continued to back up slowly.

"It's important that you listen to me," He says, his face turning red with frustration.

"Why? So you can "help" me again? Because I don't know if you've noticed but I can handle myself. So just stay away from me," Emma backs out of his reach.

"Emma where are you going?!" He yells at her, running his hands through his hair and dropping the napkins that had moped up most of the blood covering his face.

"Why am I here? Are you going to kill me? Or is this like you're new place to stalk me? The real world was probably just getting too boring huh?" She feels herself getting closer to the trees. She would make a run for it as soon as her feet reached the rough surface of the forest floor.

"I have orders… There's someone you need to see. EMMA!" Baelfire looks up at her, seeing her inch away from him and in a flash she's sprinting into the mess of trees. He sighs but runs after her. He's faster then her and he can see her long blonde hair moving between the trees.

Emma looks behind her and sees Baelfire moving towards her, trying to catch up.

"Leave me alone!" She screams, pushing herself to run faster but he's almost on top of her and he's yelling her name, which rings through her ears like fire. She feels the vines of the trees above her. One hits her in the face and she smirks as she sees a couple of bright green branches passing into sight. She grabs one of the dark ones and scrambles up to the trees. It has been years since she has done this, but her climbing skills seem stuck in her movements and she's grateful that she still has these skills, jumping from branch to branch as she moves through the trees.

She can hear Baelfire curse loudly behind her and she laughs, thinking about him grabbing one of the bright green branches that she knows are filled with thorns. She tightens her hands where her own scrapes had been all those years ago. She keeps running, having no idea where she could go.

After 20 minutes or so she slows down and lowers herself out of the trees. Baelfire is long gone and she's surrounded by silence. The trees are smaller here and less dense and she knows she is near Indians on one side and the ocean on the other. She recognizes this place. She's not near Pan's camp and she can only hope it stays that way.

She contemplates her choices in direction but decides to head to the Indians since the mermaids were all blabber mouths and attention seekers, two things she didn't need right now. What she needs is drinkable water. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was until her feet had stopped moving and she had a chance to breath again. She sighs at the thought of seeing Tigerlily again, but she knows that she will help her. At least she can hope. Sighing, she makes her way towards the camp, the sounds of drums already being heard and she reaches in the back of her pants for a gun that isn't there. She curses but continues to move forward, having no other choice.

* * *

He's out of breath, the air is tight on his chest and he looks up at the blonde mess of curls disappearing above him into the trees. His palms are bleeding from the thorns. She must have known that he'd cut himself. Baelfire shakes his head, cursing under his breathe. She had always been smarter then him.

"I should've known," He curses to himself before turning into the woods and making his way through to the one place he hated on this god forsaken island. The wails of young boys reaching his ears and he turns towards the sound, shivering in his skin.

He keeps his eyes on the ground as he walks, focusing on the dirt around his shoes. The sounds of the wild run through his ears as he walks. The wails get closer and closer and Baelfire feels sweat dripping down his face and he starts to run. He starts to breath heavily, he can feel the trees getting bigger, towering above him.

He doesn't know how long he's been running when things start to go silent. The sky starts to get darker and he can hear his on breath more then the sounds of the water on the sand or the trees blowing, and he can no longer hear any cries. It worries him a little and he reaches in his pocket for Emma's gun. It's not there.

"Damn it," He whispers to himself, fumbling through his pants for any sort of weapon.

"What's wrong Bae?" Someone snickers above him and his stomach drops.

"Peter," Baelfire whispers.

"Nah," The voice snickers, moving out of the trees and revealing a strong teenage boy's body, covered in dirt and mud.

"Nibs? What the hell do you want?" Baelfire laughs at the teenager, he was built and brave but he didn't scare him like Pan.

"I wanted to get to you before Pan did," Nibs says, not discouraged by the laughing.

"Pan doesn't know I'm even here yet," Baelfire says, but Nibs just chuckles.

"Pan always knows what happens here. You can't protect her. Just be a good boy and hand her over like you were supposed to," Nibs moves towards him, making Baelfire take a step back swallowing hard.

"I can't… I lost her," Baelfire says, looking down at the ground to avoid Nibs' gaze. He feels Nibs hands on his neck.

"UGH get… off… me," Baelfire struggles against the hands pushing him into against a tree, choking him.

"Find. Her." Nibs whispers threateningly into Baelfire's ears. He nods in understanding but he can feel Nibs' hands shaking against him. He gazes across the forest, looking for Pan's shadow but he doesn't see anything but Nibs's rough body, shoving him aggressively back. His eyes look scared, something Baelfire's never seen in Nibs eyes before.

"How bad is it?" Baelfire whispers to Nibs in the dark. The teenager just shakes his head, releasing Baelfire's neck so that he falls back on the ground, sputtering to get air into his chest.

"You should know. He's your brother after all," Nibs raises his eyebrows at Baelfire who looks up suddenly at him.

"Pan is no brother of mine," Baelfire spits back.

"Then what are you even doing here, Baelfire," Nibs smirks at him, giving him a look of disbelief. He reaches down and peels him off the ground easily, throwing him back so they're facing each other.

"You know why I'm here Nibs," He says quietly, grinding his teeth together to control his anger.

"Well you might want to make her your a new reason Bae, because if you don't bring the girl to him by tomorrow you won't be alive long enough to ever get a chance at Pan," Nibs tells him, looking around the woods, there is a long howl from the west and Nibs suddenly turns to the sound. "I must go," He says simply, disappearing into the trees above them.

"Wait! Where am I supposed to bring her?" Baelfire asks, looking up to the trees.

"Skull rock by midnight tomorrow. We'll be waiting," a voice whispers through the vines making his skin crawl. There's silence and then the howls of the lost boys start up again, farther then before as if the whole camp had moved under Baelfire's feet.

 _Skull rock by midnight tomorrow,_ the words run through Baelfire's head and he sighs. "I'm sorry Emma," He whispers under his breath, trying not to think about Pan or Nibs are anyone else before heading into the forest in the direction of the Indians. There is no other place that she could go but there, "I need to get to my brother," He whispers to himself.

* * *

Emma breathes heavily in the clearing. "Who are you?" A bold woman's voice booms through the trees, a sharp edge of a blade being pushed against Emma's throat. She raises her hands in peace.

"Tigerlily," Emma breathes the name, taking in her surroundings. She must have been walking for over an hour before she reached the clearing, where the huts of Tigerlily's tribe laid out before her.

"Why do you know my name?" Tigerlily pushes the spear harder against her side.

"Don't you remember me?" Emma whispers to her and Tigerlily meets her eyes, staring at her features. _Please remember me, please remember me,_ Emma thought to herself. She felt herself hoping and hoping and hoping for some kind of recognition on Tigerlily's face. A glow started to appear on her palms.

"You… You are the lost girl…," Tigerlily exclaimed, looking down at the glowing hands. Hands she had only seen once before.

"Yes," Emma says, her jaw clenching.

"What brings you here?" Tigerlily asks, keeping her spear close to Emma, her strong legs and arms holding her up, while her long black hair stays loose and wild in braids down her back. She is also wearing clothes that are tattered and covered with dirt, but unlike the lost boys, hers are made of animal skins and covered in beads and feathers that make her look like she is wearing a gown among peasants. Emma sees fear in her eyes though, something she knows would only happen if she saw magic in Emma.

"I'm not a lost girl anymore. I am not a pirate. I am here as Emma… just looking for shelter," Emma says giving her a pleading look.

"What brings you back to Neverland Emma?" Tigerlily asks.

"I don't know. But I'm here and there's nothing I can do about it," Emma tells her bitterly, falling to her knees before the native. Tigerlily gives her a sad little face.

"You should not have returned. No one should return," She says, her voice still loud and strong but she is giving Emma a look of sympathy. She lowers the spear and Emma stands, wondering whether or not Tigerlily will still kill or give her shelter. She could never tell with her.

"Come," Tigerlily nods to the huts and Emma smiles gratefully to her. "A lot has changed here. You will not survive on your own anymore, non-lost girl. Peter is different now," She says bitterly and Emma feels a pang of regret.

"You are lucky to have escaped," Tigerlily looks down at the sand and Emma nods.

"I'm sorry," Emma whispers but she knows her apologizes mean nothing to the natives. She's just glad for a place to sleep away from the dark shadows of the trees that now haunt Neverland. She knows that they are her fault and Tigerlily knows that, too. She shudders at the memory.

"You will learn to be sorry," Tigerlily whispers back. It's not a threat, just a fact that shakes Emma's bones down to her core. Instead she looks out to the water, hoping so badly to see some kind of sign of light on the horizon, unaware of the ship that was sailing towards her, or the man moving through the trees. She has no idea how important it is to get off of Neverland. No idea how dark the trees were about to become.

"Hold on to your magic Emma," Tigerlily says suddenly, "It is the only thing that will keep you safe."

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry this took a little bit to go up I've been busy with life and such but the next chapters will get more intense I promise! Also everything will be explained so don't worry. Thanks for staying with me and for reading and following and reviewing! Love you all!_


	7. Evil Queens and Mermaids

_A/N: Hey guys! Hope everyone's enjoying the story and making it through Hiatus okay! Comic-con killed it and I'm way too excited now so I'm going to try and put some of season 5 aspects into my story. Thanks for the reviews and follows! Love you guys!_

* * *

Pan flies fast around the edge of Neverland, the bright sun burning down onto his skin but he knows that things will get darker as he reaches Skull Rock. His talk with Felix is continually running through his head and he can't get them out. Why is she hear, Pan. She'll die here, Pan. Shaking his head, Peter tries to focus on flying. He has a mission to complete but his mind keeps wandering. She had been taken by Hook. She had been put in danger because of him. His own words come through his mind. I thought she was stronger then this. I thought she'd have more power by now. He sighs to himself, looking out over the sea to where Hook's ship is. He hadn't gone to save Emma. "She'll be fine. She's not going to die here. She's not going to die here," He whispers to himself, hoping to god that it was true.

Skull Rock peers into view and he heads for the eye, flying faster. He could hear screaming from the inside. It was the reason he was here and yet the sounds of screams still shivered his spine. Oh no, He thought to himself. He didn't bother trying to hide as he flew through the eye of the giant, carved out, rock. There was no point in trying to hide. Not from her.

"Peter!" a little girl screams from her spot on a little row boat, a rope tied around her arms and legs. She looks scared and pale and Peter's heart aches to help Tigerlily. Peter flies down to the girl whose black braids are tangled and messy, the usual feathers out of line.

"I'm surprised at how messy you are," Pan says loudly to the room but it's not to Tigerlily and she knows it.

"Did I not take good enough care of the darling? Oh well, I think she'll forgive me," A menacing voice rings through the darkness, a sound Pan hated to hear and the Dark Queen herself strolls into view, flicking a finger at young Tigerlily so that her mouth is forced closed and she's forced to sit quietly, stuck in her torture.

"Let her go Regina," Peter bites at her.

"Oh, Pan has teeth now, does he?" Regina smirks at him, strolling easily around the outskirks of Skull Rock. Her jet black hair was tied up in a tight ponytail while her body was curved into a tight black dress. Her fingertips leaked with dark magic. She was a beautiful disaster waiting to happen and Peter kept her out of the corner of his eye, slowly reaching for his blade.

"Don't even try," Regina laughs waving a hand at Pan, freezing him to his spot.

"What do you want Regina!" Pan screams, trying to keep one eye on Regina and one on Tigerlily who has shushed him, reaching for the blade that Peter could no longer reach.

"I'm a mayor now. Did you know that? I have successfully completed the darkest curse ever created, one that takes away everyone's happiness but mine. I am the most powerful being on earth and yet, I hear that Peter Pan is secretly raising a demon child to destroy my plans?" Regina scoffs in his face, "Don't play games with me, Pan. Where is she?"

"She's… dead," Peter says slowly, hoping she can't see the lies in his face. Although as far as he knows, she just well could be. _No, don't go there,_ He thinks to himself.

"Don't. Lie. To me," Regina bites through her teeth, strolling slowly towards the frozen Pan, her eyes bleeding with evil, her nails sharp like claws. Peter gulps. His body would be shaken to the core if he wasn't already frozen.

"I can show you. If you let Tigerlily go," Peter says to her, looking over to the prisoner who smiles at him in thanks. He smiles back at her and she waves her little hands a little, which were free and holding Pan's blade. At the same time she starts wiggling her eyebrows at him. She was adorable when she was being mischevious.

"You want me to let that little thing go?" Regina laughs, "Well I have no use for her. She has no use for a life." Regina rolls her eyes as she moves towards her, her hands outstretched towards the native's chest, reaching for her heart.

It was an old trick that Regina pulled with anyone that she wanted rid of. She pushed her claws into the victims chest, ripped their beating heart from their chest, and crushed it before their eyes, taking away their last breath of life. Tigerlily's eyes went wide.

"NO!" Peter yells and Tigerlily pushes herself back, ripping her arms free of the bonds around her.

"Not so fast Witch," Tigerlily spits at Regina.

"I'm a Queen, darling. The Witch is my sister," Regina smirks at the girl, waving her hands to push Tigerlily back with an ooph. Piercing her skin, Regina slips her hand into the young girl's chest and pulls out the heart easily with a squish. Tigerlily shrieks in pain, before eyeing her heart in Regina's hand. Peter watches the life leaving Tigerlily's eyes.

See when the heart left the body, it was susceptible to whoever was holding it, and Regina could just as well torture Tigerlily as well as kill her. All of Tigerlily's life was now in Regina's hands. Peter closes his eyes, trying to think.

"Alright she's alive!" Pan yells, "I can take you to her." Regina smiles big at him, pushing Tigerlily's heart back into place.

"Let's go."

* * *

The water pulls and pushes at her as she sputters for air, still in shock after being flung off of Hook's ship. Her little hands are swinging wildly in the waves. "Peter!" she yells over and over again. "Somebody!" She screams louder. The waves are choppy and rough and it's hard for her to keep herself above water. Hook's ship is moving farther and farther away from her and she can hear the boys fighting aboard but none of them are jumping in. They aren't there for her and she knows it, they just like to fight and do that Pan tells them to. She screams for them in anger and water splashes into her mouth, sputtering her words. Waves pull Emma under so her whole body is submerged in cold icy water and she reaches for the sun above her, trying to push herself up. Something, or someone, grabs ahold of her feet, keeping her down.

"Aw where's Peter?" Emma hears girls voices taunting her under the water.

"No one's here to save you now," Someone laughs and Emma tries to cry out, accidentally letting water filling her lungs. Waves of wet, seaweed filled hair pass her face followed by long trails of tails. _Mermaids,_ She thinks and suddenly she feels dread in the pit of her stomach. "Peter!" She tries to yell but it's no use from under the water.

"Poor little lost girl, never going to find her home," One of them laughs towards her left and she punches wildly, hearing a thump and someone releasing her feet with a yelp. _Yes,_ She thinks and she swims wildly up just to be ripped back down more forcefully. She kicks towards the hands but the grip is tight. She needs air and she needs it badly.

Emma pushes and pushes to get back up, the air getting tight on her chest and the mermaids yell louder around her as her mind starts to get fuzzy. They're laughing at her, taunting her, yelling at her. "No!" Emma screams and she feels an electric surge fly through her body, making her fingers twitch, her toes tingle, her hair stand on end in static shock and the mermaids scream loudly and in pain. Emma opens her eyes enough to see shocks of light flying through the water from her limbs. They release her, all hands flying off her body with cries of pain. The tails of her enemies swimming away from her and she smiles before her mind starts to go fuzzy, and her world goes dark.

* * *

"I told you she was dead," Pan says simply, staring at the spot in the water where Emma disappeared only seconds before, her screams stuck in his head like glue. He couldn't see her magic go off. He couldn't see anything.

"Oh don't be so sad, Lost boy," Regina laughs, from her branch seat on land. Peter is flying above her, staring at the water, "She needed to die darling."

Pan's heart beats fast in his chest. He needed to save Emma, but more then anything he needed Regina to be gone. She would personally torture and kill Emma. And he couldn't have them face each other like this. Not yet.

"You're right. She needed to die," Pan says simply, nodding silently to the mermaids in the water. They better do as they're told. He wasn't ready to lose his lost girl.

* * *

Emma opens her eyes a sliver. She can hear water and she feels something warm in her hand. Something moving. "Ah!"

"Shhh!" A shining red head flings into view making Emma gasp loudly.

"Oh my god!"

"No. No! Stop shouting!" The red head whispers loudly, shoving a hand over Emma's mouth. Was it a hand?

"You're hand… it's… it's...," Emma stared down at the scales shining across her skin.

"Yeah. They do that," The girl laughs, nodding to the bright green tail that was wrapped around her body where her legs should have been. Emma didn't gape at the tail. She had seen tails many times. It was the top half of mermaids she feared seeing. But this mermaid looked different. Her breasts were exposed, like the other mermaids, only covered by her wet, long red hair and pale, shining skin but her eyes were warm and bright, blue like the sky. All Emma could picture were the dark, soulless eyes of Ursula the mermaid.

"How did I get here," Emma asks, looking around the clearing. There is water but it's still and unmoving, unlike the usual waves of the ocean. A little sand dusts the floor and the clearing is surrounded by trees that blow easily in the wind yet still let in some light onto the floor of the forest. It was beautiful like a little secluded space of paradise.

"They almost drowned you. I grabbed you before that could happen and brought you here," The mermaid looks around the clearing with pride, "No one really knows about this place except for me. It's like my little secret," She giggles at Emma, "And now I guess it's yours too but that's okay. I don't mind sharing," She smiles again, "I'm Ariel by the way." She reaches a hand out to Emma.

"Why would you do that?" Emma asks, looking at the hand in front of her, deciding whether or not to take it.

"Do what? Help you?" Ariel laughs, "I've never seen someone shock away their enemies before. At least not here. It explained why Peter brought you here. You're important. Can't let the lost girl drown, ya know?" She shrugs.

"Thank you. No one really helps me here," Emma laughs ironically.

"Well I do what I can," Ariel nods understandingly, "I know it's hard to be a girl here. Or anywhere but you have a friend in me," She laughs a little, smiling at her. Emma looks at the mermaid, the girly, over-the-top, over excited red head and she smiles at her.

"Friends," She nods at her and the mermaid squeals making them both laugh.

"Wait…. What did you mean when you said you haven't seen powers like mine "here"?" Emma asks and Ariel looks at her a little confused. Just then, Emma and Ariel turn to the woods, hearing someone yelling and pushing through the trees.

"Emma!" Peter yells.

"Peter?!" Emma yells back, standing quickly letting a smile cover her face.

"Oh thank god," Peter laughs, pushing through the brush of the trees to his lost girl. Emma stands up, running to him, her arms folding around his neck and Peter smiles at her.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Peter whispers into her ear and she feels her stomach fill with butterflies.

"Where were you? I needed you…" Emma asks, and Pan looks away from her, his eyes staying on the ground.

"I'm sorry Duck," Pan scratches the back of his head awkwardly, stepping away from her, "I had some unfinished business to take care of… I'm just glad you made it," He smiles at her and Emma smiles back, nodding in understanding.

"Thank you Ariel," Peter nods to the red head, who nods back at him with understanding.

"Anything for Peter Pan," She smiles, and Emma smiles at her too, before the mermaid pushes herself back into the water, waving at both of them.

"How did you know where to find me?" Emma smiles at Pan.

"Uh, I just…. just had a feeling. Ariel is one the nicest mermaids. I just hoped she'd have the sense to save something I care about," He smiles at Emma, hoping she can't see the nervousness in his face but Emma just shrugs back, blushing a little.

"Peter?" a voice through the brush whispers and Emma looks up again to witness Tigerlily pushing herself towards them.

"Tigerlily!" Peter yells to her, smiling brightly to his friend. Emma immediately feels her stomach drop. She hasn't met another girl since she'd been here, let alone one who was friends with the only person she felt close to here.

"What happened?! Where is she.. Oh," Tigerlily immediately goes silent when she views Emma standing off to the side, slightly behind Pan. He gives her eyes to stop talking and Tigerlily shuts up, just staring with disdain at Emma.

"Hi, I'm.."

"Emma. Yeah." Tigerlily finishes for her, covering her arms with her hands where the binds of rope were a couple of hours ago. Bonds that were only there because of the tragic little girl in front of her. Emma feels her face flushing with embarrassment.

"So you're Duck, huh? It suits you," Tigerlily tightens her jaw.

"Come on girls," Pan laughs nodding to follow him back through the trees.

"Wait… She's coming with us?" Emma gapes at Pan. Tigerlily turns fast on her.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Tigerlily stands tall against Emma.

"Why what are you..." Emma starts to threaten, moving towards her and feeling lightheaded, stopping in her tracks.

"Emma! Are you okay? What's going on?" Peter walks back to her, slipping his arm around her waist and Emma sees Tigerlily's jaw clench.

"Yeah… I must just still be recovering," Emma smiles at him and he looks sadly at her. _Not as strong as she should be,_ Pan thinks to himself, and he looks at Tigerlily's strong warrior stance, wondering if he's made a mistake in choosing Emma. He looks up to the sky, hoping the queen was gone.

On the other side of Neverland, Regina sends herself through a portal, transforming herself back into a proper mayor, her silk shirt slipped into her black skirt, a short black bob smooth against her neck, and the town name "Storybrooke" appearing before her eyes as she steps through, smiling darkly.


	8. Baelfire and Peter

_A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little shorter then the others, but hopefully it clears up some things about Pan's past. Enjoy and feel free to leave your comments and thoughts!_

* * *

 _He's playing in the field, his bare feet slapping in the mud as rain pours down on him. His long brown hair covers his eyes so he can barely see in the downpour and he's trying to keep his brother in sight. He uses his little five year old hands to crawl on the ground his hands covered in the mud. He hears laughter and looks up. His older brother is taunting him from a couple yards away, a little smirk upon his face._

 _"Peter wait!" The younger brother yells, pushing himself up and trying to follow the older brother, who is faster and more nimble. "Hurry up Baelfire," The older brother just laughs. Peter runs in front of him, just out of reach, dodging rocks and branches that the younger brother keeps running into with an ooph. He falls, over and over again in the mud, practically ruining the crops. There are seeds everywhere, falling over Baelfire's head. "Gross!" He yells, looking down at all the muddy crops at his feet._

 _One in particular catches Baelfire's eye. "Hey Peter!" Baelfire yells but his brother ignores him. He wants to show him the glow coming from his feet. The seed is attached to a plant, away from the other crops, and Baelfire wonders how it got here and why. He shrugs and grabs a seed from the plant, sticking it in his pocket to examine later._

 _"Peter! Bae! Get in here!" A man's voice rings out above them and Peter stops in his tracks._

 _"Coming father!" Baelfire yells back happily but Peter just stares at the man standing on the other side of the field. Even from here they can see the shining skin and dark cloak of their father. A shining, jagged dagger stays firmly in their father's belt, his hand holding onto the handle as if his life depended on it. In fact, his life did depend on it. Peter's eyes become fixated on the dagger. If only he could take it._

 _"C'mon Peter!" Baelfire laughs, pulling Peter back to reality and he nods as they walk towards the dark one He couldn't do that to Baelfire. Instead he walks with his brother towards a man with more darkness and power then anyone in the entire realm. "Peter?" Baelfire asks, looking into his brother's eyes. They seem different, darker somehow._

 _"Get inside boys," Their father tells them as he waves them into the little hut._

 _"Why do we have to go inside?" Baelfire complains, looking sadly at the field that they could be playing in right now. He can't see the glowing plant anymore, just fields filled with crops and plants and places to frolic._

 _"Because someone's after the dark one," Peter says in a monotone voice, slipping inside and into a chair, putting his feet up on the table. "Someone's always after him," He adds and Baelfire looks at him in shock._

 _"I'm not the dark one to you. I'm your father," He yells back at Peter, pointing a finger at him but Peter just rolls his eyes. His father's skin glows like a gem, his hair long and shaggy, old robes surrounding a new body._

 _"You don't know how to be a father anymore. All you care about is power," Peter spits back, his eyes once again locked on the dagger. Baelfire can see his father's eyes glowing with rage at the older son and he shuts his eyes. He feels the lack of love too, of course, but he knows his father is still in there. At least he hopes._

 _But then suddenly, something stops the madness in the Dark one's eyes, briging out a new look of rage. It's real rage, so inbread that he starts to giggle a horrible screech that makes Baelfire's skin crawl. He hated that sound. They hear a slam against the door. "Come innnn," The Dark One laughs, the eyes of their father disappearing in the façade of darkness. "Father?" Baelfire asks but Peter grabs his shoulder, shaking his head. Love never beats power. Peter knew it. His younger brother on the other hand always thought he could bring his father back. It was a worthless thought. Someone pushes open the door with a slam. "Hello Rumple," A dark voice rings through the room._

 _Peter reacts instinctively, grabbing Baelfire and pushing him down a set of stairs that are hidden below their rug. He always takes care of his brother first. Thankfully Baelfire knew the routine. He had been down here many times. It was something that occurred whenever someone needed to see the Dark One. Today felt different though. There was a chill in the air and Peter looks seriously at him, breathing deeply below the floors._

 _"It's the evil queen," Peter whispers, looking up through the cracks in the floors to the black veil pattern and long black hair wrapped around the evil queens waist as she walks towards Rumpletilskin, the Dark One. She pushes the table aside with ease, practically throwing it against the wall. He can see her black magic sparkle against his father's strange shine and he smiles at it._

 _"Do it," Peter whispers, looking at the dagger below his father's waist, but he knows she won't take it. She never does. "I would never waste a moment like that," Peter bites through his teeth. He knows that he would be better off with that magic. He could control it, work it, use it to give him and Baelfire a better life, but he knows he can't without leaving his brother alone without someone to guide him. He slams his fists against the wall and sees Bae jump, something falling out of his pocket._

 _"What… What is that?" Peter asks darkily. Moving towards the young brother._

 _"Nothing…," Baelfire asks, moving away from his brother, grabbing the glowing seed and pushing it back into his pocket._

 _"What do you have?," Peter pulls at his hands, pulling them easily out of his pockets, even with Baelfire's complaints, "what is that?!"_

 _"It's mine! I found it!" Baelfire tries to pull his hands back but Peter is holding them tightly._

 _"No. It's… It's a bean," Peter stares down at the glowing thing in Baelfire's hands. They can hear an uproar above them and Peter stares up at the sound. They can hear cackling and yelling. The two evils above them have been plotting for months. Peter hears them talking and complaining and making plans and he knows something bad is going to come out of it. He's known it for awhile now. Instead he stares at the bean. This could be his escape. "I need this," Peter says, trying to pocket the bean, but his brother jumps at him._

 _"Give it back!" Baelfire screams, grabbing at the bean._

 _"Bae no!" Peter screams back but Baelfire keeps grabbing at it, knocking it out of Peter's hands._

 _"No!" Peter yells, watching the bean fall to their feet, opening a huge gap in their floor, spinning their world around like a tornado into their floor. Peter screams._

 _"You idiot! You've set it off!" Peter yells grabbing for something to hold onto so as not to be sucked into the portal. Baelfire's not so lucky, his little hands not strong enough to hold onto the walls._

 _"Peter! Help me!" Baelfire yells and his brother reaches for him, grabbing his arm to pull him back, everything else in the basement being sucked into the portal, giving them nothing to hold onto but the plywood that keeps the house together._

 _"The portal won't close unless someone goes through!" Peter yells, trying to think. His eyes look back up to the ceiling, to the dagger, to the magic above him. His mind comes to the halt and he nods to himself. Someone needs to stay here and get that power, someone needs to take charge in this world, make an actual diference and he couldn't do that with his brother following him around his feet._

 _"You're going through Bae," Peter says quietly._

 _"What?!" Baelfire screams._

 _"Something bad is going to happen here, Baelfire. I'm sending you somewhere safe," Peter says seriously, "Someone has to go through. You have to do this!"_

 _"I don't want to leave you!"_

 _"Bae!" Peter yells, bending down to his younger brother, "listen to me. Those two up there… They aren't the good guys.I have the chance to be a good guy I can make a difference but I need you to be safe first."_

 _"Where would I go?!" Baelfire yells over the whirl of the portal._

 _"I don't know. But wherever you go it is vital that you survive! Do whatever you need to do to survive. No matter what that takes," Peter tells him._

 _"What about you?" Baelfire asks him._

 _"I have something I need to do... and I'll come for you as soon as I can, I promise," Peter says back to his brother who shakes his head. He doesn't want to go, through the portal, he doesn't want to leave his family._

 _"Please don't do this!" Baelfire screams but Peter shakes his head, "In order to make a difference there has to be sacrifice," Peter whispers quietly, letting go of his brother and hearing him scream as he goes through the portal. The floor shutting itself before Peter's eyes, draining the sound of his brother's screams as he disappears below him._

 _He knows they've made enough noise. That the two upstairs know something is wrong and he has to move fast. He turns his attention to his father. It was time for somebody to take away his damn father's magic before he destroyed everything. But Peter could handle it. He knew he could. "Goodbye Dark One," Peter smirks, glad that his brother won't be around to watch the downfall of one Dark One and the rise of another._

* * *

Pan stands above skull rock, running his hands through the dirt floor above the giant rock. He can hear the slow heartbeat beneath his hands and his fingers twist into a fist. He had locked that heart in there so long ago he can't even remember, and yet he still couldn't take it. Still couldn't take the power from the beating muscle. His father was long dead and yet the heart beats on, filled with dark magic just waiting to be released.

His hands move down to his belt, where his father's dagger now lies. He grunts in annoyance at his father's name still scratched into the metal blade. He thinks back to that night, when he was supposed to kill his father. His mind wanders back to The Evil Queen laughing in his face as he stood before the Dark One with the dagger in his hands, unable to push the blade through his father's chest.

" _Only the strongest power in the universe has the power to push the blade through,"_ She had laughed. Peter had stood there, unable to move, his father's eyes raging with dark magic so twisted and scarred that it made Peter's hands shake just looking at him. He had sent his brother through a portal, he had taken a risk in his life to take down his father and he had failed.

" _Then you do it!_ " He had yelled at Regina but she just laughed at him.

" _I'm not the strongest power. In fact, she hasn't even been born yet darling. Nor will she ever be born,_ " The Evil Queen had given a dark smirk.

* * *

"Strongest power in the Universe," Pan says to himself from Skull Rock, his eyes wandering down to the blonde little girl next to Tigerlily, her legs laying awkwardly in the sand and she's staring nonchalantly at the sea. When she was ready, Peter was supposed take her power for himself, push the blade into the Dark One's heart, and become the strongest power in the universe, leaving Emma to Regina's wrath to do as she pleased.

His plan was supposed to be flawless and yet things were so different then he thought. She wasn't as strong as he thought she was. She wasn't a threat. She was just a girl. A normal, kind hearted girl that he couldn't stop feeling this weird connection to. "AGH!" He grunted, throwing dirt on the ground at his feet in annoyance. She had been here for years now. She was a lost boy, a follower, a friend. He shook his head. He needed to stay focused. He needed to get her out of his group and fast. "No more lost girl," He says to himself, nodding slowly, "no more anything."

He looks down again at Emma and she looks back up to him, giving him a little smile of encouragement. Her smile reminds him of his mothers and his heart aches a little. He knows how to push her away.


	9. Emma's Protector

_She was walking through the streets. She past a familiar clock that was stuck at 8:15. The streets were foggy and Emma could barely see in front of her. "Hello?" Emma calls out._

 _"Mom?" She hears Henry's voice calling out to her._

 _"Henry? Where are you?!" She yells back, running through the fog towards the sound of his voice, hearing him scream for her. He's against a bench, ropes pulled against his chest so he can't move._

 _"Henry!" Emma screams for him, trying to run towards him but she can't get any closer, her legs refusing to move from the cement._

 _"Mom!" Henry calls out again and someone moves past Emma, towards him._

 _"Don't worry Henry. Mother's here," The woman responds, her heels clicking loudly on the cement and her jet black hair hanging loosely around her neck. Emma tightens her jaw watching Henry smile when he sees his mom._

 _"Hey!" Emma yells to the woman. She turns to face Emma, her hair suddenly much longer, the dark hair wrapped up in a tight ponytail._

 _"What the…"_

 _"What's the matter Emma? Don't you remember me?" The woman's sharp nails reach for her cheek, clawing at her. Dark magic oozes out of her fingernails and she smirks at Emma, one of her arms still around Henry._

 _"Regina," Emma whispers._

 _"It's time to wake up Savior," Regina whispers into Emma's ear and she shivers._

 _"Time to wake up…"_

Emma opens her eyes, panting. Her shirt is covered in sweat. "Regina….," She says to herself, trying to remember her trip to Storybrooke. She had seen Henry's mother many times. There was no way… Was there?

Suddenly Emma hears a rustling. There's voices around her and she searches for the sound, still panting from her dream. She's in a tent in Tigerlily's area of the land and all the lights from the fires have gone down leaving nothing but darkness. She can't see anything, her mind reeling. There's movement in the tent. Someone was in there.

"Who's there?!" Emma tries to scream but someone covers her mouth.

"Let's be quiet now, love," A low voice whispers into her ear and Emma tries to pull the hands off of her mouth. She grabs at a warm, big hand but the other object over her mouth isn't a hand at all but something sharp and cold. It feels familiar and she pulls on the hook, ripping it off of her mouth.

"You've got to be kid…AGH!" Emma yells out as the man tightens his grip around her mouth so she can't get the words out. She punches him in the gut and hears him wince.

"Ow. When did you get so strong?" Hook grunts but Emma can't talk and instead just grunts as Hook pushes her out of the tent, pushing a sword against her back. "Stop trying to grab at me, love. We're in public," Hook whispers into her ear. Emma ignores him, her eyes searching the Indian's land searching for other pirates, for anyone. She couldn't live with herself if Tigerlily got hurt.

"She won't get hurt as long as you stay quiet," Hook says to her, pushing her towards the ship in the dark. She still can't see anything along the shore, just trusting Hook as she walks.

"She better not," She whispers to him, knowing him well enough to know he's raising his eyebrow at her.

"Get on," He whispers. Emma sighs as she pushes herself up onto the boat with Hook's help. The Jolly Roger looks the same, just as she remembers it and she smiles a little at the smell of wood and salt at her feet. There are lanterns hanging around the deck and Emma looks around the ship, hearing the sound of the anchor being pulled from the ground. The rest of the crew must have been sleeping below deck because it was quiet, her and Hook being the only people up as far as she could tell. The memories of this ship make her heart beat a little faster.

Emma walks to the edge of the ship, looking back to the shore as Hook steers them out into open waters. She sees Tigerlily running on from her home, staring at the ship. A bow and arrow slung around her shoulders but there is no ship faster then the Jolly Roger and Emma knows that even Tigerlily couldn't stop this ship.

"You could've at least let me tell her goodbye," Emma sulks, turning her back to the village.

"Didn't realize you two were friendly anymore," Hook says, his eyes still focused on steering the ship.

"Yeah… Well things could've been different. She's a good warrior," Emma says, turning to face Hook for the first time. His face goes pale when he sees her.

"Swan?" Hook asks, finally seeing her in the light. Emma smiles at the name and looks up at him. He hasn't changed much, his eyes just as piercingly blue, his jaw still strong and tight. He was covered in dark hair from stubble around his face to his chest where hair peeped out of his open shirt. She smiles at him and sees his crooked smile back at her. She still didn't know if he was a good guy or bad guy but he was a beautiful view regardless.

"What?" She asks, seeing the questioning look on his face.

"You look so different…" He says quietly. He examines her face, her hair, and she lets him put his hook up to her skin, lining her strong jaw and big cheekbones that looked stupid as a kid but now made her look strong and powerful. Something in his eyes is different and she knows he sees the same in her but neither of them mentions it. He looks older somehow even though she knows he hasn't aged a day, still stuck in his 20s. Or at least that's what they had assumed. She knew that even he didn't remember his age anymore.

"So... Couldn't stay away huh?" Hook smirks at her and she smiles at him.

"You know me," She laughs.

"Well not anymore, clearly," He raises an eyebrow at her and holds his stomach where she had punched him. She instinctively covers his hand with hers.

"I'm sorry about that. It was a reflex," She bites her lip at him and sees him shake his head at her.

"I'm glad to see you can still fight for yourself. You never did stop fighting me," He laughs a little, a forced laugh that makes Emma's guilt sweep over her.

"Killian…," She starts, looking up at him.

"A lot has changed here Emma…," He moves away from her, letting her hand fall from his.

"I'm so sorry I left you here," Emma says trying to move towards him but he just shakes his head.

"I belong here, love. You're the one who needed to find home. And you're obviously still looking… You shouldn't have come back here Swan," He stares seriously at her, emotionless and stern and Emma shakes her head.

"It wasn't really my choice to be honest," Emma says, a little annoyed that people kept telling her that. After all she knows this place as much as anyone else. She could take care of herself.

"How'd you even know I was here?"

"Portals aren't exactly secrets around here, love. I just hoped it wasn't you. Although I have to say I'm not surprised it was," He says to her, opening the door to his office and nodding for her to get in, "Either way. I had to get to you before Pan."

"I'm not going to hide in your office like a coward," She says to him and he nods to the sky, where the sun is starting to come up, "You aren't in charge of me."

"You will if you want to live another day. Pan knows you're here, darling. He'll be coming for you," Killian says, his jaw tightening a little at Pan's name. Emma sighs but she knows he's right. "Fine. But I'm not staying in your stupid office. I want the Captain's quarters," She smirks, moving to the other side of the boat and hearing him sigh behind her. Her heart was beating a little fast, she was unsure of how Hook would respond to her. Thankfully, she didn't feel the blade of a sword against her neck or the cackling of the Captain's throat.

"No one sleeps in my bed but me," Hook's jaw tightens a little.

"And every girl you fancy," Emma raises an eyebrow at him.

"And them," He smirks a little, and Emma feels a twinge of jealousy in her stomach before shaking off the feeling. After all, she had been the one to leave.

"Right… well. I think we both know I'm your type," She raises an eyebrow back at him, "So I'll be sleeping in here. Let me know how the office chair feels," She laughs before walking into the bedroom, closing the door behind her and hearing him grunt in annoyance at her before plopping a seat near her door, keeping watch. She locks the door behind her and pulls the blinds shut, refusing to make any more eye contact with the Captain. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her hands from shaking. She knew Pan would come here first. How stupid could Hook be, bringing her back here? But then again he had always protected her, no matter how much he threatened not to. She grunted into her hands, sliding her body down the door. She wasn't ready to see Pan. She would never be ready.

A horrible memory passes through her brain of tears falling down Killian's face, begging her not to take the dagger and yet she couldn't stop herself. The image of the bleeding heart was burned into her brain as Pan had watched, letting the dark magic overtake Emma's heart and he laughed maniacally. Then slowly, he had leaned over to Emma and whispered, "Finish him," into her ear. She felt her hands shaking at the memory of standing above Captain Hook, a bow and arrow at her fingertips, ready to kill the only person who had ever truly cared for her.

Emma gasps, opening her eyes to Hook's quarters. "He's okay," She whispers to herself, wiping the sweat from her face. Her hands were still shaking, her heart pounding out of her chest. She never had completed his mission and she shakes her head, hoping beyond anything that Pan wouldn't find her.

* * *

Baelfire runs through the Indian Tribe, searching for one girl in particular. The girl with the feathers in her hair and who knew Pan's secrets and his own. _Tigerlily._ Baelfire looks around, hoping to see the young girl's face. People carry crops across the land in front of him, while others sit around the fire, cooking. Baelfire searches quietly, trying not to draw attention to himself. Finally, he finds her, standing a little down the beach from her village, her feet in the sand and an arrow between her fingers at her side. "Tigerlily!" He yells to her but she doesn't respond, her eyes focusing on a ship on the horizon. A little frown is on her lips, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. Baelfire stops when he reaches her, holding his knees as he catches his breath.

"Are you here to help her or hurt her?" Tigerlily says, un-phased by Baelfire's heavy breathing and ungraceful entrance.

"I am not my brother. I know I brought her here but it's not for him I… I have plan. I'm on her side I swear," Baelfire begs Tigerlily, who still stands tall just staring out to sea.

"It does not matter Baelfire. If Pan doesn't kill her, Hook will. That Captain has held so much anger against that girl…You would not believe the things he did after she left. Tearing boats apart, killing people mercilessly… I held her here to be safe but even still he had stole her right from her tent. Right through our village. She will be dead by sunrise if she is not already," Tigerlily speaks as if without emotion, only sharing the facts of the island to another, rather then caring for a friend. Baelfire had heard of a different time, one where Tigerlily was strong both in physical and mental forms, a loving girl with nothing but a sense of adventure and pride for the life around her. The girl that stood before him now was different. She was no nonsense, her voice lacking any love or compassion. She was a girl torn down by dark magic.

"Emma has been sent to her death," Tigerlily says, turning to Baelfire, "If you choose to save her, you may take one of our boats. We will help you get to the ship, but we are not to fight Hook. We have an agreement. And besides, that's a fool's errand," Tigerlily smiles at Baelfire.

"Am I the fool in this scenario?" Baelfire raises an eyebrow at Tigerlily who just looks at him, "I'm not a fool! I'm trying to help someone!"

"And you're going to duel the greatest sword fighter in the realm?" Tigerlily asks, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"No," Baelfire smiles, staring down the beach. Tigerlily furrows her brows, following Baelfire's gaze down the beach. Emma's gun sits a little in the water a couple yards away from them. It must have been moved by the waves. Baelfire smirks a little and Tigerlily takes a deep breath.

"Let's get the canoe," He says and Tigerlily nods, leading him back to the village after taking one more look out to the ship that was rocking easily in the waves.

"Don't worry Emma. I'm coming for ya," Baelfire whispers to the sea, hoping the waves carry his words. She may not like him, but he could only imagine a Captain's wrath against her. He just hoped she was still alive.

* * *

"Is it brown?"

"No."

"Gold?"

"No."

"Yellow?"

"That's the same as gold! You're not just supposed to ask colors," Emma laughs, watching Hook rock a little in his seat, thinking.

"Alright well… is it me?"

"Not everything is about you!" Emma shakes her head, exhasperated. She rests her elbows on the table and rests her head on her hands, watching the man across from her stare out the window, thinking hard. She tries not to laugh but a little chuckle escapes her lips and he glares at her. His flask sits on the table between them and they pass it back and forth, taking little swigs of rum as they play. Emma can feel her cheeks getting a little hot from the alcohol and she giggles again at Hook's face.

"Can I at least get a hint?!" He snaps at her, his cheeks going a little pink from embarrassment. He takes a gulp from the flask.

"It's silver," Emma smiles at him.

"Silver… Silverrr… Silver," Hook repeats the word, searching around the room.

"Silver was it?" Emma asks him, but Hook ignores her.

"My hook!" He exclaims, his eyes going wide with excitement and Emma bursts out laughing, practically falling from her chair.

"Oh thank god. You are awful at this game," She says to him.

"Well then maybe we should play a different game," He smirks at her and she swears her heart falls out of her chest it beats so hard.

"Hey. I let you back into your quarters. Don't push it," Emma smiles at him. Their sitting at a little wooden table next to a desk and his drawers and farthest along the wall is his bed, where the sheets are tangled and messy from Emma tossing and turning all night.

Hook swears she was screaming in her sleep and he only came in to check on her and Emma knows she was having another nightmare about Storybrooke although she doesn't remember screaming. Either way she let him stick around, playing silly games like 20 questions and which would you rather into the early morning. Neither of them had gotten much sleep but Killian's eyes held dark circles that looked like he hadn't slept in years. She watched him drink his rum, smiling a little at her in triumph.

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Emma says, touching the little wrinkles under his eyes.

"Only if you join me."

"One of us has to keep watch, remember?" Emma raises an eyebrow at him and he nods, probably realizing just how exhausted he really was because he follows Emma when she gets up and lets her bring him to the bed without another argument, to which Emma is thankful. He plops down on the mattress, still fully dressed and on top of the blankets. Even still, he looks comfy and Emma decides to leave him the way he is, only covering him up with the blanket so he won't get cold. He smiles a little at her and she wonders if he's had too much to drink or if he's just exhausted, she could never really tell with him.

"Don't let me sleep to long," He says and she nods to him, walking towards the door.

"Emma?" He whispers and she turns to him.

"My bed is always open for you to join me," He smirks and she just rolls her eyes, he was probably drunk. She looks over to the table but the flask is gone. She sighs and turns back to him, pulls the covers back, and sticks her hand into the inside of his coat pulling out his flask of rum.

"And this is no longer open for you," Emma shakes the little bottle and hears him grumble in protest, already falling asleep into his pillows. She laughs a little but closes the bottle. She was feeling a little woozy herself. Walking out onto the deck she wonders where the crew is. It was morning now and yet no one was up besides her. She wanders the ship, looking for people, anyone, but all she hears is silence.

Instead she pulls a seat up against the side of the boat and sits down, resting her head on the railing and closing her eyes. She can feel the rocking of the boat and hear the sounds of the waves slapping against the sides, and the sound of yelling from somewhere behind her. She opens her eyes, _yelling?_ Emma looks over the side of the deck. About 200 yards away is a little row boat, filled with people in leather clothing and feathered hair and at the very front she sees a grown man, dressed in black and white, his hair being pushed back by the wind. _Baelfire,_ She thinks, staring at the Captain's room. It was only one man. She didn't have to wake Killian. She could handle this.

200 yards away Baelfire pushes towards the ship, a gun resting in his hands, and a look of determination, anger, and pride across his face. He would put a bullet in the dreaded Captain Hook, no matter what the cost.


	10. The Echo Caves

Emma sits in the dark, another teenage girl sitting across from her and she feels on edge. Peter had led them back to camp and then promptly left, barely saying two words to her. "I almost died... I thought he would care more," Emma says, as half the boys run wildly around the fire while the other half sleeps lazily under the trees. Tigerlily is the only one listening and even she is busy carving arrows out of the wood from the floors of the forest. Her fingers are moving nimbly around the wood, pushing the knife smoothly across the surface, her eyes focused on her work.

"He doesn't care for many people. I wouldn't take it personally," Tigerlily says, avoiding Emma's gaze.

"Why does he act like this?" Emma asks.

"He's just… different. He's done things no child should have gone through," Tigerlily says, still focusing on moving her blade.

"Haven't we all," Emma says, laughing bitterly.

"That's true," Tigerlily laughs with her, her eyes going a little sad and Emma wonders what she's had to go through in her own life. Tigerlily's body was filled with tattoos, scars, and markers that showed a life in the wild.

She takes a better look at her. Tigerlily's older then her, maybe 16 and she looks 16 with a body that hasn't get grown into itself with little features about her that make her look like an adult in a teenage body. She had no heartbeat, nothing beating in her chest. She looks up from where Tigerlily's heart should have been to find her doing the same to her.

"You're heart is beating," She says a little nervously.

"Yours isn't," Emma says back. Tigerlily shakes her head at her.

"Not anymore," Tigerlily says, looking down at her work again.

"I thought everyone's heartbeat stopped when they arrived here?" Emma says, a leap of hope beating in her chest.

"Everyone that isn't originally from here," Tigerlily corrects her, "If you were born here though, you do age. You're heart beats until you reach the most significant moment of your life," Tigerlily says.

"So… I could potentially be from here… and I just haven't reached my most significant moment yet?" Emma asks, her smile beaming across her face, "I could be home?" Tigerlily nods to her, giving her a little smile of encouragement.

"When did yours stop?"

"The moment you got here," Tigerlily admits to her, lowering her eyes.

"What…What did I do?" Emma looks confusingly at her, searching desperately for answers.

"I don't think it's what you have done, Emma. I think it's what you will do. Or at least what you are destined to do," Tigerlily nods to her, as if this should answer her questions. Emma's head is reeling with questions that Tigerlily seems in no rush to answer. She needs Peter. "What am I destined to do…," She whispers to herself.

"I'm not really the right person to tell you this, Emma… We should find Peter," Tigerlily nods, standing up and reaching a hand down to Emma to help her up.

Felix sits across from them and watches them both stand up to leave the camp. "I have direct orders not to let anyone leave the camp while Pan's gone," He threatens them and Tigerlily just glares at him.

"Why? Where is he?" She asks him while Emma stares between them, watching them stare down each other from across the fire.

"Why should I tell you?" He spits at the two of them and Tigerlily raises her eyebrows at him, walking around the fire with the knife in her hands.

"I don't know, Felix. Maybe because if you don't I'll slice open your throat and spill your blood into the ocean," Tigerlily smiles at him, twisting the blade in her hands.

"You don't scare me," Felix smirks at her. Tigerlily growls at him, lifting the knife towards him.

"Please, Felix," Emma whispers and he just looks at her and scoffs.

"You especially don't scare me Duck," Felix raises his eyes to her. Suddenly the knife in Tigerlily's hand flies towards Felix, scaring both of them.

"Shit!" Felix screams, but the knife has only hit clothing, pinning him to the tree behind him by his sleeve. Both him and Tigerlily stare at Emma, who's raising her eyebrows back at them, "I don't like being called Duck," Emma spits at Felix who looks surprisingly back at her, his face full of astonishment. Even Tigerlily looks surprised but she smiles at her in encouragement.

"Where. Is. Pan," Emma stares at Felix who looks between her, Tigerlily, and the knife stuck in his shirt.

"The echo caves," Felix says and Emma and Tigerlily turn to each other.

"Let's go," Tigerlily whispers and Emma nods, following her into the forest towards the echo caves, leaving Felix squirming by the fire.

* * *

"Peter!" Emma yells out, her feet running fast against the hard floor. The giant caves loom above her head and Tigerlily runs behind her, grunting as she grabs vines to pull her up to the caves that shadow them in darkness. She shivers moving up the walls. The Echo Caves were known for housing magic within it's walls that held a spirit of it's own. Every echo heard within the caves felt like more then an echo, like a totally new person. It made Tigerlily's skin crawl but Emma didn't seem to understand that yet, her feet pushing hard as she pulled herself to the entrance of the caves.

"Peter!" She yells into the giant black carved out rock before her, her hair flying in her face in the wind of Neverland. The walls of the cave seem to shake at her voice and she sees a figure walking towards her.

"Peter?" Emma asks softly, trying to wipe her hair away from her face.

"Emma? What are you doing here?" Peter yells back, running towards her.

"She's here to find out the truth Peter. The prophecy. She needs to know," Tigerlily says, pulling herself up to stand next to Emma. He doesn't look that surprised to see them, as if he had been expecting them to come. But not for this.

"The… prophecy hasn't been seen in years… you've come here for nothing," Pan shrugs at them.

"What?" Emma's mouth falls open in surprise.

"I'm sorry Emma but there is no way to show you that prophecy. Not unless either of you has gained more immense power overnight," Pan chuckles a little, "the prophecy can be seen using my dagger… but it hasn't shown any signs of magic in years."

"I have magic…" Emma whispers under her breath.

"Flickering lights isn't going to cut it, darling," Pan whispers back to her, smirking a little and it makes Emma feel uneasy.

"In fact, you haven't shown any signs of magic in weeks," Peter begins, looking back at the cave, hoping Emma is looking too. He was done with her. He needed her to follow him into that cave.

"Give me the blade," Emma spits through her teeth and Pan laughs.

"Give it to her, Peter," Tigerlily says, standing behind Emma in defense and suddenly Emma is glad that she sent a knife at Felix.

"Fine," Pan shrugs, handing Emma the dagger. He knew she wouldn't do anything to it anyways. She just looks at it though, her eyebrows furrowing as she reads the name Rumplestilskin that is carved into the metal.

"Who's name is this?" She asks, moving her fingers across it.

"My father's," Peter says back to her, his arms firmly across his chest, his feet still in the entrance of the cave as he watches Emma moving the blade in her palms.

"I can feel something in this… almost like a heartbeat," Emma nods.

"The dagger is connected to the power of the Dark One… the most powerful source in the universe, and coincidentally, my father," Peter nods to her, keeping his eyes on the ground, "He died a long time ago but his heart holds the power of the Dark One still so it still beats here, hidden on the island. Waiting for the person with the strongest power to finally release it," Pan stares at the dagger in Emma's hands.

"I don't understand," Emma shakes her head.

"Use magic on the dagger. Focus. And maybe you'll find out what he's talking about," Tigerlily says, and Emma still looks confusingly at him but she turns her attention to the blade, her hands holding it tight and she closes her eyes, focusing. Nothing happens.

"I told you, you weren't strong enough," Pan snickers. He's not sure why Tigerlily is trying to help her. Maybe it was because she trusts him or likes him. Either way he didn't need Tigerlily's help. He had enough power of his own.

"As if you would understand what real power is!" Emma screams, her grip tightening on the handle, "I was the one who fought back against Captain Hook, not you. I was the one who actually fought to become one of the lost boys. I used magic to electrocute the mermaids, I used magic to send a knife at Felix, I HAVE POWER PETER NOT YOU!"

The words shake the ground under Pan's feet and suddenly he's forgotten about the cave, about Tigerlily, about everything but the woman in front of him, who's anger was so strong that it was shaking her body, and his body, and everything around them, like magic.

"Emma…," Tigerlily whispers and Emma looks down at the dagger that is glowing brightly in her hand.

"Oh my god," Emma whispers and she grips the knife harder.

"Focus Emma," She says encouragingly and Emma nods, letting her mind release to the blade. Images fly through her head, she can picture the beating heart underground, the dagger in her hands and her hands going through the flesh of the heart, releasing dark magic into her body, her eyes turning dark and soulless and she sees the island falling dark, screaming surrounding her with the Dark One's power.

"AH!" Emma drops the blade, breathing fast, her mind clearing of all images and she sees Peter looking intently at her.

"What did you see?" He asks her.

"I'm the person with the strongest power in the universe… I was meant to stab the heart… That's why I'm here," Emma says, looking away from them.

"Emma… I know you're scared or that you think you won't be able to handle it… but without you… that heart will eventually stop beating and dark magic will be released to the whole island, causing chaos and destruction and pain, Emma… you are the only person who can handle that magic," Pan says to her, and she's still looking at the ground, just listening to him speak, unaware of the fact that if she had just looked up at him, she would see all the betrayal and lies in his eyes. He could feel his breath hitching, his mind wandering with excitement that she was actually the one he was looking for for decades. She was it.

"How did you find me?" She asks finally.

"The dagger. It showed me visions of you… some of you now. Some of you in the future… but all of you," Peter smiles at her, "For awhile though… I thought it was wrong. It turns out I was wrong," He comments, moving out of the cave and towards her.

Emma breathes and nods to him, "I just need some time to think," She says and Pan rubs her shoulder in understanding. She feels dizzy and she drops her hands to the ground, feeling a shaking beneath her fingertips. "Those are very vivid images… a lot of magic is in that heart," Emma shakes her head.

"Take all the time you need to figure stuff out. C'mon though, let's go back to camp," Pan says, keeping his back to the cave and trying to pull Emma off the ground but she stays put, focused on the movement under her hands.

"Peter… What were you doing here?" Emma asks, changing topics, her eyes turning to the cave before her. She kept her fingers on the ground, her mind still full of magic that travels down her hands and into her fingertips. She felt something alive beneath her.

"There's someone… or something in there… isn't there?" She looks at Peter.

"Emma… wait. Stop. You're the one I was looking for…You're a lost boy! There's no need for us to worry anymore. There's no need to go in there," He laughs, shrugging it off but Emma keeps her eyes on the cave.

"Why were you here, Pan?" She asks darkly.

"Duck…"

"DON'T CALL ME DUCK!" Emma screams, her mind focused on the noises before her and she turns to Pan seeing a flicker of worry in his eyes and that's all she needs. She starts running into the cave, her hands still glowing with magic, keeping her passage lit as she runs, Peter on her tail running after her, screaming. Emma keeps running her feet pushing her farther and farther into the darkness until she seems something glowing before her.

"What is that?" Emma asks, looking at the light before her.

"It doesn't matter Emma," Peter yells.

"What. Is. It," She turns to him, her eyes fiery and mean and he sees all the magic in her body, rushing through her veins.

"It's not a what… It's a who," Pan says quietly, his eyes on the ground while Emma's look up at the giant orb, where a woman in white circles the orb, her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open, her body enclosed in a fiery light.

"Who is it…," Emma asks,her body calming down but Pan just stays silent.

"Peter…"

* * *

Pan stares up at his mother, given a fate worse then death, in an abyss of the unknown. She was forced into a world between life and death as punishment for abandoning her family. Especially for abandoning them for none other then the captain of the Jolly Roger, Killian Jones. Peter shakes his head, it wasn't supposed to happen like this.

Peter planned on bringing Emma here to scare her away, to give him a chance to find the real power or to make her so angry her real power came out and he could force her to do his bidding before she became too strong. But now she would be willing. Either way, he knew for sure now that he needed her here. That she was the right person. He needed her close to him. He wasn't going to bring her here… he almost had her walking away.

He looks up at Emma, who's eyes are meeting his straight on and he knows he can't lie to her. "Her name's Milah. She's my mother. And she'll never ever be able to leave that orb… ever," Pan says. He wasn't lying.

"And you come here… to talk to her?" Emma asks, looking back up at the orb. Pan says nothing, letting her come up with her own ideas and he's glad Tigerlily is still waiting outside so that she can't see the lies across his face. Emma seems to buy it though and she smiles at his mother.

"I want to help you," She nods, and Pan swears he feels his heart move in his chest with excitement. "There's only one thing," Emma says, and Peter nods.

"Anything."

"I need to know what happened between you and Captain Hook… and I need to know from him."


	11. The Rescue

_A/N: Thank you for the reviews and follows! I appreciate every one of them and every one of you guys! Enjoy the update!_

* * *

Emma looked around the ship for guns or knives or both. She knew Captain Hook had weapons somewhere. Not that she needed them to fight Baelfire but it always made her feel comfortable to know she had something as backup. She had taken him down before and she would do it again if it meant stopping him from harming someone. She grunted in annoyance watching his boat moving faster and faster in the water and she wondered why she was important to him, what role he had here. She racked her brain for answers but all she could think of was what Peter had told her once, "if magic is a part of you then magic will always find you." She had always had magical people in her life, she always felt some sense of connection to this world but even at the thought of a connection she felt her heart beating in her chest and she tossed the thought from her mind. "I'm sure his heart doesn't beat here," She mumbled about Baelfire. He was a pain in her ass.

She grunted as she picked up crates and barrels searching for something, anything. "Fuck. No weapons? He always had weapons," Emma says to herself, looking frazzled. This new Hook was not one she was used to. Where was his crew? His weapons? His demanding demeanor? Emma looks around helpless. She hadn't used magic in years and she doubts she could do much with it now. "Maybe if I just focus myself," She thought but she knew magic wasn't going to come shooting out of her fingertips like an old friend. She wasn't even sure if magic still existed here.

"Emma!" a voice yells from below her and she stands up at the sound of Baelfire's voice, looking to the captain's room to make sure his lights were still off. They were and she breathed a sigh of relief, she didn't want Captain Hook dealing with Baelfire, especially when he had been drinking. Although she wasn't sure if Hook would attack Baelfire, she wasn't sure of much anymore.

"Baelfire…" Emma says back, turning slowly around to where he was climbing up. His feet scraped against the sides of the boat and she feels her eye twitching a little. He had no dignity for the Jolly Roger.

"Emma!" He screams, pulling himself over the side to stand before her. He was disheveled, breathing heavily and looking at her with confusion. She sighed a little, he looked like hell.

"I… what are you doing?" Baelfire asks her.

"Uh… escaping from you?" Emma shrugs, eyeing him warily.

"You're a prisoner!" he says looking around the boat.

"Do I look like a prisoner?"

"Well… uh…no," Baelfier admits, looking at Emma who was leaning easily against the side of the boat, her hair a little messy but she overall looked fine compared to him.

"Why are you here?" Emma asks him and he stands taller, looking hurt that she'd even ask.

"I'm here to save you," He says back to her and it's her turn to look confused.

"Baelfire…"

"I know that he took you," Baelfire says, walking towards her and she takes a step back.

"He took me to protect me… You took me to give me to Pan," Emma says, trying to keep her voice level and clear. She had a feeling he wasn't in the best state of mind.

"You don't understand… You have no idea how important you are," Baelfire says to her but she shakes her head furiously at him.

"I've been through this before…In fact, Neverland is like this because of me," Emma spits at him, trying to get through to him, "I do nothing but hurt this place."

"And you can change it back! You can change Pan back!" Baelfire screams at her.

"I'm sorry… I just can't do that," Emma says, turning her back again to Baelfire. She can hear him moving about but she just leans against the wood of the boat, sighing, her hands shaking and she presses them on her cheeks trying to calm herself. He was a foolish dreamer and he had no idea the damage she could cause. She hears a little click behind her and it makes her still for a second. She knew that sound.

"I'm sorry too Emma… but I need you to change Pan back. If you don't, he's going to die and all of that dark magic is going to be released once again into the world for anyone to capture… and if you think Pan is bad you obviously haven't fought much with the Evil Queen," Baelfire says to her and she turns around furiously, about to scream that she doesn't want this, that she never wanted this but he's holding a gun, no not a gun, _her_ gun, and pointing it straight at her head, his hand steady and his face serious. She stops.

"You wouldn't kill me, you need me," Emma says back, her eyebrows narrowing.

"You're right. But I think you also know how much pain I can cause when I want to," He spits back at her and she touches the scar on her chin absentmindedly.

"I thought you were above that now," Emma says to him, hoping to reach the clutsy, scared, boy she knows is in there.

"You don't understand. Pan's my brother," He says back to her, his jaw tightening and Emma opens her mouth in shock. A flash of fear crosses Baelfire's eyes at the mention of his brother. He didn't want to hurt her, she could see that now, but he would do anything to save his family.

"Is that why you hurt me all those years ago?" Emma asks him.

"My brother… he sent me through a portal when I was little… he said he was trying to protect me but all of a sudden I was alone and terrified and I was desperate," Baelfire says, his voice cracking as he talks.

"I was put into the foster system with a new name and a new life… and… and nobody cares for a pushover Emma and that's what I was my whole life. A pushover," He says to her, his voice stammering, "Well, I finally got a message from my brother saying that he had escaped too, that the curse hadn't hit him and that it hadn't hit you but you were here… in the foster system. He told me that you could take away my father's magic, that you could bring my family back together. He told me I had to get you to wish that you could go somewhere else. I had to get you to wish for my brother… he said he would come save us both… but he didn't. He only saved you. When I saw him… what I saw wasn't my brother… He flew, he… he had magic… he was different. And I knew I had to get to him I just didn't know how," Baelfire was speaking faster, running his hands through his hair anxiously.

Emma stays quiet, nodding in understanding and standing taller, walking a little towards him. Baelfire kept his gun aimed at her, both staring at each other, trying to figure out what the other wanted.

"And I could do that because…"

"Because you are from the enchanted forest. You are Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter… taken for use by the creator of Neverland, Peter Pan," Baelfire nodded to her, confirming a truth that Emma didn't even realize she had been waiting for.

"If you help me… I will help you find your home," Baelfire says quietly to her. Emma stops, her mind racing fast, neither noticing the Captain's door flying open on the deck.

The Captain moves fast, practically breaking the door open in anger. Killian's jaw is clenched, his hand pulling the sword from his side easily and his eyes daring Baelfire to try and run.

"Lower the gun from her or I kill you, right here and now," Killian snarls at Baelfire, his eyebrows furrowed on his forehead and his hook shining menacingly at his side. Baelfire starts to take a step back and Hook aims the sword at his neck.

"Killian no… Don't!" Emma starts but he barely glances in her direction, his eyes baring into Baelfire's soul.

"Nobody threatens my Swan," He spits and Baelfire's eyes glance between the two of them, a glimmer of confusion across his eyes but he nods, lowering the sword.

"I didn't realize she was yours," Baelfire smirks at Killian.

"That's because I'm not his," Emma states, and she sees Killian glance at her out of the corner of her eye but nothing more, "I don't belong to anybody," Emma states, standing between the two boys. At that Baelfire smiles a little and Hook's eyes gleam with territorial anger at him.

"You're going to regret stepping onto this ship," Hook threatens.

"Well you're going to regret getting in my way," Baelfire threatens him back, aiming the gun at him instead and Emma rolls her eyes at the pair of them. "You think you follow a code? You're nothing but a washed up pirate, with no crew, and so little dignity you actually had to kidnap Emma just to see her!" Baelfire laughs at Hook, who just stares back silently, taking in his words. Emma sighs, staring between them, wanting to comfort Killian and also smack him for being so stupid but instead she just stands where she is, waiting for Killian to call Baelfire a girl and start pulling his hair. "This ridicu…" Emma begins but Hook cuts her off.

"If you knew me… you'd know I don't follow a code anymore… I don't show mercy on this ship," He snarls, taking a swipe at Baelfire. Emma shouts in shock and Baelfire immediately jumps back, the blade just barely nicking his chest and he shouts in pain, dropping the gun at Emma's feet. His chest is bleeding lightly and he looks up to Killian's face, which has turned white with anger, his eyes dark and soulless. Even Emma looks surprised at the outburst. "I am not the man I used to be," Hook snarls, trying to bring his sword down again, finishing him. Baelfire screams, closing his eyes and instead feeling a strong shove pushing him out of the way and he opens his eyes to see Emma standing next to him pointing the gun at the Captain.

"Emma… move," He says to her.

"No. He may be an ass, and a kidnapper, and a bully, and…wait…" Emma starts, confusing herself and making Killian smile a little at her insults, "but he's human… and he's just trying to save his family," Emma states and Baelfire lowers his eyes to the ground.

"He tried to hurt you," Killian says simply.

"So have you," Emma shrugs, lowering the gun, "but I still don't wish you were dead."

Hook stares at Baelfire, glaring at him but he lowers his sword all the same.

"If you try to hurt her again. I will do more then a little scrape," Killian spits at him.

"He won't… Because I'm going with him," Emma states.

"You are?" Baelfire looks at her in shock but she just nods to him.

"But only if you help me find my home," Emma nods.

"Well then I'm coming too," Hook shrugs and Emma opens her mouth in protest but Hook raises his hand up to silence her, "Don't test me, love. I'm coming."

"But it's dangerous," Emma says, immediately regretting opening her mouth.

"Yeah it's dangerous," Baelfire says to Hook, standing next to Emma and crossing his arms over his chest, to which Emma replies by moving herself a step away from him mumbling something about personal space.

"That's fine, lass. I don't mind a challenge," Killian smirks, eyeing Baelfire with disdain.

"Whatever. Where to first?" Emma asks, turning to Baelfire.

"Skull Rock," He answers, watching Emma's face turn white.

"Are you alright, Swan?" Killian asks, reaching to hold her if she fainted but she shakes it off.

"Of course. Let's go," She states blankly, looking across the waters and pushing down any memories of her and Pan and that cave.


	12. Captain Hook's Story

Emma struggled to keep herself balanced aboard the Jolly Roger, falling back every couple of steps. "I got you," Peter laughs, wrapping his hands around Emma's waist. She blushes a little at him and sees Tigerlily tightening her fists, watching her interact with Pan. Peter doesn't seem to notice though, still smiling down at Emma as she makes her clumsy attempt across the deck. His smile quickly fades though, as the Captain emerges from his quarters, catching their attention.

Hook knew why the three of them were there, but Emma couldn't help but feel her heart beating a little faster at the sight of him. She could sense Peter and Tigerlily tensing behind her as she looks around the ship. The crew is watching them warily, their eyes more focused on Peter then Emma. All except the Captain.

Pan had flew them here in an instant, hoping to help Emma in her decision to release Rumpleskilskin's magic to him, something she was supposed to be born to do but that did not feel as natural as it should. Emma wondered why the knot in her stomach hadn't left yet. She trusted Peter and yet she couldn't help but question him because the most dangerous man in Neverland might think otherwise? She shook her head. She had to come here. She didn't know why, but she knew that she would only be able to trust Pan once when she knew the truth between him and Hook.

"You're alive," Hook smiled at her, breaking the silence aboard the ship.

"It takes a lot more then water to kill me," Emma spit back and him. He smirks.

"I'm glad to see it… Swan," He says, pausing at her name and giving her a little nod of respect.

"Me too… Jones," She says back, raising her eyebrows at him. Hook laughs at that, shaking his head in utter astonishment at her courage. She never was good at filtering. He opens his mouth again but Pan grabs ahold of Emma's arm, pulling her back a little so that she isn't the center of Hook's attention.

"Ah and you still haven't lost the added baggage, I see," Hook adds, finally looking up at Pan who responds by raising his eyes to his, squeezing Emma's side in protection.

"Save it. I told one of these men why we were coming, I'm sure they've told you by now," Pan sneers at him and the mischievous smirk on Hook's face finally falters.

"Of course," Hook says quietly, turning towards his office, "magic little fairies come to my door saying Pan wants to talk. How lovely. Follow me… Lost girl," He mutters, turning his back to them, strolling slowly across the deck. Emma looks around to Peter who nods at her to follow. They all manage to squeeze into the room, the Captain leading them within his office. The room looks just as it did when Emma was held captive, but the glass case from his desk had been swept up and the sword now hung from the wall rather then in a replacement glass case. She smiles a little knowing he had to clean up after her escape.

"So what do you want to know?" Hook asks, his face looking bored and expressionless.

"I need to know what happened between you and Peter?" Emma asks him, hoping for some kind of reaction from Hook but he just gestures to the chair, playing with the rings on his fingers absent-mindedly. He looks nervous, Emma decidedes but she sits, eyeing him in his own office chair, his desk between them. Peter and Tigerlily stand next to her, each looking around nervously. No one looks comfortable except for Emma, who sits calmly in her chair, waiting for Hook to answer her.

"It's quite simple really. I was in love with Pan's mother, Milah. She had escaped from their family when her husband went crazy with power and somehow she found me. I was drunk in a bar… But I have a way with women," Hook says raising his eyebrows at Pan who's jaw has tightened, "But she wasn't just any woman…We were in love… until one day she got a letter from Peter saying she needed to come to a place called Neverland. A place he had built with magic. He said that he missed his mother and that they could be a family again… forever. Anyways, she decided to go, she said she needed to be a mother again and I agreed to come with her. But she didn't belong here and her heart kept beating… it never stopped beating while mine stopped. I watched the woman I love grow old here, I watched her die here because of him. And I've never been able to find a way home since." Hook says, looking down at the ground, "Anger has taken over my life since then and it is all Pan's fault."

Emma listens intently, focusing on every word coming out of Hook's mouth, and the way he keeps his eyes down, intently focusing on something else, not even being phased by the story. She eyes the wedding ring on his finger, something she hadn't noticed before and Emma nods, she understood something no one else in the room seemed to have picked up on yet.

"I thought you said that Pan took your love from you?" Emma asks.

"In a sense," Hook says back, scratching the back of his head absent-mindedly.

"And that he took your hand…?" Emma asks again, her eyes narrowing on his, searching for something she knew was there. A little glimmer in his eye catches her gaze.

"That was in battle. After Milah died, Pan blamed me and I blamed him. We have been enemies ever since," Hook nodded and Emma stared at him silently.

"Alright… let's go," Emma says to Peter and Tigerlily, standing and turning to leave, leaving Hook to sit silently, watching them leave.

"So you're going to help me?" Pan smiles at her, touching her shoulder but she pushes his hand off of her.

"In a sense," Emma says, feeling magic surging through her body, "See I have this gift… I've had it all my life. I always know when someone is lying to me," She says, nodding to Peter and backing away from the crowd in the room. She can see Pan's jaw tightening and Tigerlily looking between the two of them, confused.

"I knew you were something special Swan," Hook smirks.

"I'm not special… But I don't help liars," Emma spits, feeling her face turn red with anger. The whole room looks up to the light that is flickering above them. She hears someone mutter a warning before her anger explodes the light, shooting magic out of her fingers like a rocket. The crew stared mesmerized as Emma flies across the deck. "I am not who you think I am… any of you! I am not you're tool!" She can feel magic pushing out of her fingers instead of in the form of tears, only flowing harder, pushing her above them, pushing herself up with fuel. The crowd below her looks at her with fear in their eyes and she shakes her head. She doesn't want to be here anyore. Firepower pushes her farther and farther away from the ship, not fully following Emma's route and she can feel herself losing her focus. She can feel Pan catching up behind her, completely in control of his flying while carrying Tigerlily below him. He's screaming her name but she's moving faster then him, farther then him. Her anger is more then his, her magic is more powerful.

"Emma please!" Pan shouts, trying to catch up to Emma as she flies around the island. She has nowhere to go where he wouldn't find her. He would trap her, force her to stab the heart but she knows she can't do that. The lies, the trickery, the knot in her stomach, it all meant something. Something was very wrong with Peter.

The story was a lie, Emma thinks to herself, a forced trap that she had seen but she didn't want to believe. She didn't want to think that Pan could manipulate people, force them to lie so that he could get what he wants. She can feel tears coming down her face, slowing down the fuel from her fingers. She lets herself slows, pushing herself just enough so that she's hovering above the ocean floor, waiting for Pan.

"Emma… please," Pan says, holding Tigerlily below him, keeping them both afloat. He stops a couple feet away from her.

"I'm sorry Peter," Emma whispers, "But I can't let you trap me, too. This time things are on my terms." She moves fast, her hands reaching for Tigerlily's legs and she pulls hard, releasing her from Pan's grip and sending her down the 40 foot drop to the waves below.

"Duck!" Pan screams in horror, trying to send magic down to Tigerlily but she's dropping fast, yelling. She can't swim.

"It's Swan now. Emma Swan," Emma spits back at him, blocking out Tigerlily's screams. Peter stares at Emma, fear crossing his eyes for a split second before he dives after Tigerlily. She hits the water hard, her voice muffled by the gurgling of waves pushing her under,her arms flailing for help. He flies down, grabbing ahold of her and taking one last look up to the sky. But Emma was already gone. He sighed as he pulled Tigerlily out of the way of the waves, and hearing her sputter.

"That girl," Tigerlily sputters, holding tightly to Peter's arms, "Is a traitor!"

"Give her some time… She'll come back when she's ready," Pan whispers, holding tightly to Tigerlily, letting her breath deeply against his chest.

"No matter what happens… we will always find her."

* * *

Emma breathes hard, pushing magic out of her hands as she flies lower to the ground. She's finally lost Pan from following her. He was forced to stop chasing her to save Tigerlily from drowning. Emma shakes her head, guilt clouding her judgement and she hopes Tigerlily will understand that she never meant to put her in real harm. She just needed a distraction.

Finally, the sails of the Jolly Roger come back into view and she breathes a little lighter. She needed to know the truth, even if meant going back to the dreaded Captain alone. Only then would she be able to decide what to do.

"HOOK!" Emma screams loudly, pushing her teenage body towards the deck of the ship, her legs landing clumsily on the deck but it doesn't slow her down and she simply picks herself up, breathing hard. "HOOK!" She yells again.

"Yes love, I hear ya," The Captain chuckles, and she turns to his voice, finding the young man behind some of his crew, pushing through the crowd towards her, his blue eyes piercing hers as he walks. She feels her stomach turning in knots, but she's not sure it's out of fear. She doesn't feel fear towards him. Not anymore.

"You lied to me," Emma utters, her green eyes meeting his. She may only be 15 but she knows she doesn't look like a normal teenage girl. Her clothes were ripped, her hair long and crazy, her eyes more wild then any lost boy. She was a force to be reckoned with, and she knew it.

"I'm afraid I didn't have a choice," Hook replies, his arms crossed lazily across his chest.

"Why did you lie?" Emma asks.

"Why are you so nosy?" Killian shoots back at her and it's Emma's turn to look surprised.

"I need to know what Pan did to you," Emma states, louder this time. Hook stares at her, his face looking more pained then usual. He lifts his hand, scratching absent-mindedly at the back of his head. The eyes of the crew were still upon them and Emma suddenly felt like she was having a private conversation in a very public space.

"Please…" She says to him and she sees him nod, his jaw tightening.

"Fine… You want the truth… lost girl?" Hook threatens, walking towards her but she holds her ground.

"Are you really going to let Pan take advantage of you like that?" Emma mocks.

"If I told you the truth then he would have let my wife's soul die!" Hook screams across the deck.

"What are you talking about?!"

"You know nothing," Hook spits, "You want the truth? Fine. The truth is Milah was his mother. That part was true. And he did send her a letter and I followed her here… I thought it would make her happy… but he didn't ask her here to be reunited. He called her here to punish her. His entire life is about revenge and control! He took her from me… and when I tried to stop him he took my hand," Hook growls.

"Oh my god… Why didn't you say that?" Emma asks quietly.

"Why do you think lost girl? He always has control… My love… she wasn't just taken from me. Her soul was taken. In fact you can still find her soul… Ever been to a place called the echo caves?" Killian's voice falters and cracks as he talks, his eyes looking out to the ocean.

"Yes… Peter was just there actually…," Emma comments.

"Why? There is nothing of value there anymore," Hook spits back but Emma's barely listening.

"No… You're wrong. I felt it. I felt something in there. I knew it. You're wife… She might be alive," Emma states.

"Listen… You don't understand…It has taken years for me to let her go… Her soul isn't her… Maybe I should just let her die," Hook starts, turning away from her.

"No. I know what I felt!" Emma yells back, "And she is alive. And I can prove it to you… Come with me."

"Sir…?" Smee whispers from the back of the crew, who all look between Emma and Hook, waiting for a reaction.

"And what if you're wrong?"

"Then… You can punish me however you see fit," Emma says, standing tall against the Captain. She holds out a hand to him and he looks at it, breathing, thinking.

"...Let's get the sails ready boys… we're heading to the echo caves," He smirks, shaking Emma's hand.


	13. Memories

Emma stood at the edge of the ship, her eyes focusing on the waves below her, that moved with the boat, passing her in ripples and returning back into the sea. She could feel something repeatedly hitting her ankle every couple minutes and was doing her best to ignore the man behind her that she knew was the culprit for her red skin. Her temper was getting shorter with every hit.

"Emma," Baelfire says quietly behind her, continuing to throw pieces of dirt at her ankles. She sighs quietly, turning to him. He was standing across the deck from her with his back against the sides of the boat, facing her. His eyes were on her ankles though and his tongue was hanging out of the corner of his mouth as he focused on throwing another piece of dirt.

"EH HEM, what?" She asks, coughing her throat loudly to get his attention. He looks up and sees her looking at him, annoyed, and immediately drops the dirt and sticks his tongue back in his mouth, coughing to try hide the act. She shook her head at him, _boys,_ she thought to herself, watching him blush in embarrassment. He looked at her for a second, waiting for her to walk over to him, but seemed to sense that she wasn't moving anytime soon. She seemed to raise her eyebrows at him as if daring him to ask her to walk over to him. He didn't.

"I just wanted to say thank you," He says, keeping his distance from her.

"Don't thank me yet. I'm not doing this for you," Emma says back, her face stern and serious but Baelfire chuckles a little, trying to make light of the conversation at any cost, for which Emma is somewhat grateful for.

"Why are you doing this then?" Baelfire asks, still smiling and raising his eyebrows at her, easing himself off of his side of the boat. She stands silently, watching him walk over to stand beside her, him leaning over the edge and her facing into the boat, her back against the side. She hated to admit that she felt relaxed where she was. That he was in fact, an easy person to talk to when he wasn't making a total ass of himself.

"I just know what it feels like to grow up without a family," Emma admits to him, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Even you."

"Yeah, I can understand that… I know exactly what that feels like... Can I ask you something Emma?" He says quietly, looking to the floor and not waiting for Emma to respond before asking, "What was my brother like when you were here?" His voice sounds nervous, like he'd been practicing the question in his head for quite some time but wasn't sure if he even wanted to ask. He tried to keep the hint of a smile on his face, like he didn't really care what he answer was, but his eyes gave him away, they always did.

"He was my first real friend. Bright, talented, one of the most amazing people I've ever met to be honest… But he is also ruthless, selfish… dangerous. You never really knew what he was thinking or what he wanted with you," Emma tells him, watching him hang on every word leaving her mouth. He looks upset by her answer, just nodding silently and watching her shift uncomfortably away from him. She has her arms crossed over her chest, as if in some way that would protect her from truly revealing anything more personal to Baelfire. In truth, Emma felt her own eyes gazing back at him, a pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach. He probably wanted a better explanation, but Emma was not the right person to give him that.

"He wasn't a bad guy though," Emma adds, touching Baelfire's shoulder lightly in concern, hoping that in some way that would make her answer better for him.

"No. He was. I couldn't described him any better myself," Baelfire says, laughing a little at the truth in her words. Emma smiles back at him, feeling the cloth of his shirt beneath her fingers. She tries to remove her hand but he stops her, reaching up and cupping her hand in his own. "Emma, you deserved better. You deserved so much better then my brother and I," Baelfire says to her, his hand soft and warm against hers and she smiles shyly at him, nodding in thanks, too wrapped up in the conversation to here the thumping of footsteps on wood.

"I think we can all agree on that, mate," Killian yells to them, walking up to them from his spot at the wheel where he has spent most of the day. Emma pulls her hand away from Baelfire quickly, leaving his hand to hang limp on his shoulder, looing disappointed. Killian catches Emma's movement, watching her hand drop, a look of surprise crossing his face and he looks at Emma as if waiting for an explanation as to why she would dare touch him. Emma blushes in return, crossing her arms again. She didn't need them judging her for things that didn't matter.

"Or at least one of us," Killian adds, eyeing Emma who was still avoiding his gaze. Baelfire stood awkwardly, shifting his feet and watching Emma do the same, looking guiltily around her.

"So… what exactly is the plan?" She asks, scratching the back of her head absent-mindedly, immediately regretting the movement when she sees Killian smirking at her, it was something she had picked up from him after all.

"Pan already knows that you're here. There's no point in hiding. If this is going to work I think I need to hand over Emma as my prisoner, make him feel like he can trust me. He won't trust you of course," Baelfire says, nodding to Hook.

"And remember that I don't trust you either, lass. Especially with Emma tied up in ropes, there was to be another way," Hook argues back, fear crossing his eyes if only for a second.

"I'll be okay," Emma says back to him, hoping to calm him down even in the slightest, "I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"Plus she'll be with me! And I won't let anything happen to her," Baelfire adds, standing proudly beside Emma. She's certain Killian is going to rip his throat out but he doesn't, just rolling his eyes instead and pursing his lips in annoyance.

"Really? I mean really? Because you put a gun to the poor girl's head, remember that?" Killian shouts.

"I would never have pulled that trigger on her!" Baelfire screams back, clearly upset by the comment.

"Why? Because I'm a necessity to you?" Emma asks finally, watching them all move nervously around each other, the hair on the back of their necks all seeming to stand up in the tension of the conversation.

"No! I don't know… Why did you help fix my nose?" Baelfire throws back, tilting his head a little to the side as if daring her to come up with an excuse.

"Because I'm a good person… and because I broke it in the first place," Emma says proudly, trying to keep the smile off her face. Killian does nothing to help her, a smile beaming across his cheeks.

"That's my girl," He whispers, looking proudly at her and causing her to laugh a little in return, trying to quickly cover her mouth but the giggles keep coming. Baelfire stands back from her shaking his head at her.

"Oh shut up," She laughs, hitting Baelfire in the arm and hearing him whine a little, still watching her laugh hysterically while leaning against the boat, her hair flying over her face and her hands trying to cover her mouth.

"You look ridiculous," Baelfire laughs, joining them in their laughter.

"I punched… I punched you… I literally punched you in the face," Emma laughs her knees buckling, and she collapses onto the ground, rolling around at the memory. It didn't take long for Killian to join her, all of them laughing more at Emma's reaction then to anything. Both men laugh like children at the lost girl who's cheeks had turned red with giddiness.

* * *

 _The shadow had called him a little boy, simply reciting what his brother had enchanted it to say. But his brother didn't know him anymore. He wasn't a boy he was 16, living on the streets of Portland on his own._

 _His foster families each had had their chance to kick him out one after the other. Even the one family that had cared for him, the one foster family that had mattered… had since left once the blonde girl was gone. After all, they had no one to pick on but him after she "ran away from home". All it took was one fight, one battle for him to be out again. He couldn't go back to the foster system, he wouldn't. He would keep running, keep fighting. He could do this on his own. He didn't need parents that would abandon him or a brother who would leave him._

 _The shadow was long gone by now but he could still feel the steam flying out of his ears in anger. He could practically recite Peter's letter word for word. The shadow's voice ringing in his ears._

 _"Baelfire,_

 _I don't know what you don't get about the fact that I couldn't take you with me. I needed her trust I mean you understand that. It's about time you moved on. Anyways, I have bigger problems. She keeps pushing me away. She doesn't trust me fully yet. Must be because of the stupid little boy she used to live with that tormented her too much. Just to be clear, I didn't say to leave scars on her. I mean that was harsh even for a son of the dark one. You must be some dumb ass little kid to think she would ever show you Neverland after all of that. But don't worry little bro, I'll get her to open the portal again. I'll take care of everything. I even brought mom here. She loves it. In fact, she couldn't throw away that mess of a pirate fast enough when she found out I was alive and well. Don't worry, I'm sure she misses you, too. Although she hasn't mentioned you much. Even Emma doesn't mention you. Hey, I even forget I have a brother at times haha nah I'm just kidding. Just keep digging up stuff on Emma and get back to me. The more you find the quicker I can bring you here. You wouldn't want to miss out on our family reunion would you?_

\- _Pan"_

 _Neal balled up his fists, he hated his brother, he hated him. It wasn't fair. He wanted his family, he wanted to go home. Peter had told him that teasing Emma would be all it took to make her want to go to Neverland but it was never that easy. She was tougher then that, she didn't care what he said if it meant that she had a home. Peter should be thanking HIM for all he's done to push her into calling for Neverland._

 _Neal growled, kicking a trash can over as he walked, needing something to take out his anger on. He already knew everything about Emma. She had no last name, having changed it repeatedly after moving from foster home to foster home. She was kicked out of every one for strange occurrences of something a.k.a. magic as Neal knew well enough of. And in fact, she did have a family, one that Pan had made certain she would never find. The thought made Neal's stomach cringe with guilt. He shouldn't have let her leave, he should have stopped her… But what did he know. He was only a child. Neal sighed, brushing his hands through his hair. He would make it up to her someday. He had to._

 _Deep in his thoughts, Neal barely realized that it was getting dark out, the only light being a flickering street light above him and a light haze still left in the sky. He was cold and tired and he needed to find a place to sleep for the night. His eyes wandered around the neighborhood, watching the lights turn off in each of the houses around him and the children all scurry inside. He wished so badly to be in a bed, with his mother telling him to sleep tight and be safe. He needed to get to his family, he just didn't know how._

 _A little yellow bug sat a couple yards away from him, in front of a big house with 3 or 4 other cars in the driveway. The immediate look of the place made his stomach cringe with want. Neal looked around, nodding to himself as if he had been arguing over whether or not to keep moving or to stop. He pulled out a swiss army knife and a toothpick from his back pocket. "It's all about the tumblers," He mumbles to himself, picking the lock of the car until the car door swung open and he could slip inside. A fresh start, he thinks to himself, smiling at the keys that sat in the ignition._

* * *

Baelfire lay in one of the cots below deck, feeling the rocking of the boat below his feet, the dark sky rocking him back and forth, seducing him to sleep but his mind was far away, in memories. He could remember exactly what Emma had looked like the first time he had seen her again. She was wearing thick-framed glasses when he saw her. They sat on the bridge of her nose, just above her cut-throat cheekbones, her hair in a tight ponytail on the top of her head. At the time, he wondered how she could have even seen Neverland, those glasses were so thick, but Neverland was full of magic, she probably hadn't even realized until she stepped back into the real world just how blind she really was. He smiles at the memory, she had looked so beautiful.

He had been told to follow her, to keep her safe. Little did Peter know how little Emma really needed anyone's help. Baelfire feels a warmth in his heart, remembering watching her, just a couple weeks into the real world, as she left town hall, a big smile across her face and a piece of paper between her fingers. The name change of EMMA SWAN had been written in big letters across the top of the page and her fingers had clutched that paper so tightly to her chest. She had been so happy. She had finally picked a name for herself.

Then again he could also feel the surprise in the pit of his stomach when, barely a month after that, he had left a convenience store to find his prized yellow bug had been stolen, something he had later discovered to be none other then Emma Swan. The thought made his stomach twist in knots. After all, he had been the one to turn her in. He didn't think she'd be sent to jail. He didn't even know it was her but barely 3 months had she stepped back into the real world, when Baelfire had ruined her life yet again.

He grunts at the thought of it. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't be the good guy. But not anymore. He would be that good guy, he would be the good guy for Emma Swan. After all, it's not like anyone else would be that good guy for her. It's not like she ever had anyone else to make things right.

* * *

Across the boat, Emma sits on deck, watching the stars above her, her mind too awake to sleep either. Baelfire had been gracious enough to sleep in the cot below deck, and Hook had retired to his quarters after drinking enough rum to sedate a pack of wolves.

Emma though, rather then sleeping, was wrapped up in thoughts of her son Henry. Even after everything she had been through, every pain the real world had caused her, she would still go back if it meant she could see her son again. She sniffed, trying to get ahold of herself. She didn't want to think about him but she couldn't help it. Not here.

She could remember the day the prison guards had told her she would be having a baby. That she would be out of jail before the baby was delivered. She was told that she could keep him if she wanted to. Even then, people had judged her, looked at her as if she was nothing and would never be anything. She hadn't even held Henry before he had been taken from her in the delivery room, it would have been too painful. The only image that had stuck with her, were those bright blue eyes opening onto a world without a mother.

She held herself tighter, _those eyes_. His father's eyes. A pair of eyes so bright and beautiful that she could not escape as easily. She feels a tear fall down her cheek and pulls her feet up towards her chest instinctively, wrapping her arms around herself and letting the boat rock her to calm her nerves. Killian Jones would never know he had a son. He would never know that his eyes glowed on another face besides his. That was one secret Emma Swan would never share.


	14. Milah Jones

She hoped beyond hope that she was right that Captain Hook's wife was still alive. She knew she had felt a heartbeat the last time she was up at the Echo Caves but what if it was her own? All she could remember now was her heart pounding as Peter Pan explained to her how her powers were stronger then anyone else. How she held the power to kill the Dark One for good.

Now, Emma's heart was practically beating out of her little chest she was so worried for Captain Hook. Unfortunately, each beat was a stronger reminder of the silence around her. No one else aboard the Jolly Roger had any sort of movement within their bodies. No growth occurred in anyone else but Emma could feel the growth in her own awkward 15 year old body. What if she was just hoping that there was someone else like her in Neverland? Hoping for someone who aged like she did?

Emma sighed, she had never celebrated her birthday, no one did since no one here aged but tomorrow... tomorrow she turned 16. At least she was pretty sure she did. People talked about it being late October and Emma had tried to make a calendar of sorts. She had figured out that it had to be around October 21st-October 22nd. It was more of a joke here for the pirates aboard this ship. They laughed about "Halloween" and how Emma's old world was scary on it's own without a holiday to prove it. Not that they knew what her world was really like. No one escaped Neverland except for Peter Pan himself.

Emma shakes her head, trying to push the thoughts from her mind. She had bigger things to think about then herself. Instead, Emma looks back towards the Captain steering the ship. He had a little smile playing across his face and Emma could practically see through his brain to his thoughts. He must have been thinking about his wife, Milah. She wonders if Hook had always been like this or if Milah knew a different man than the one in front of her whose eyes sent shivers down her spine.

"Nervous Emma?" Hook asks, hiding a smirk behind his eyes.

"Never."

"We'll see about that," Hook replies to her, watching her shift her footing. She hopes she doesn't look nervous. After all, she had told the Captain that his wife was alive, she was taking him to the echo caves with a chance of hope and she could be wrong. She could lose everything.

Emma didn't know what would happen if she was wrong. A part of her wondered if Hook would kill her for her lies but Emma didn't think he had it in him to hurt her. Then again she had been wrong about him before. Her thoughts continue to run through her head but she can't stop herself from staring at him as she thinks, burning a hole through his skull trying to read his thoughts.

"Stop looking at me, love. You're much too young to have a chance with me," Hook jests, smiling a little at her. He always softened up around her. Neither was very sure why but it made Emma smile a little. She had a feeling that this was the only real part of Captain Hook.

"Sorry," Emma says back quietly, turning back to watch the waves crash over the sides of the boat, maybe to keep her mind at bay.

"Are you worried, lass?" Hook says absent-mindedly, his eyes on the seas in front of them, his hands on the wheel, turning it easily with experienced fingers.

"About what?" Emma asks back.

"About being wrong, of course."

"I'm not sure," Emma says honestly, she felt courageous when she offered up her information but now that she had time to think, she wondered if she had made a mistake. She didn't want anyone to get hurt especially him.

"Well don't worry, love. I'm not getting my hopes up. Besides, I have a lovely punishment for you if you're wrong," He sneers at her.

"You're lying," Emma whispers, more to herself then to him. There was no need to cause a brawl but she knew that he was in fact, showing hope in his eyes, much like her own eyes had lit up when she met a new family, or when she had met Peter, although she found that there was not much left to hope for anymore.

"LAND!" Smee yells from the top of the crow's nest, his eyes through a telescope. Emma looks in the direction that Smee is facing, her eyes squinting. Smee was right, there was land. A shadow lay over the area of Neverland, making the section of caves look gloomy and dark. Emma tried to think back, but she couldn't remember if the Echo Caves had always looked like that. A tug in her stomach told her that something was wrong. "Killian," Emma says, looking at him worriedly.

"Yes, lass?"

"I think someone's already here," Emma replies, her eyebrows creased in worry. What was left in Hook's smile fades rapidly before her eyes. There were not many people who visited the Echo Caves and if someone was here, it was more then likely a follower of Peter Pan.

"Drop all the sails!" Hook screams loudly to the crew, "We're speeding our ship up!" His face looks heated, upset. This was the fastest ship in the world and no lost boy should have beaten them here. They shouldn't have even known. Emma clenches her teeth. She was done having people get in her way, especially the boys who had cast her aside.

* * *

"Emma slow down!" Killian screams from the bottom of the cliffs leading up to the Echo Caves but Emma can't slow down. She is raging with anger at whoever came here. Magic flows in her fingertips, glowing brightly beneath her skin, ready to flare through her fingertips at any moment.

The crew is beneath her, pulling the boats up to shore from the Jolly Roger and Killian is still screaming at her, trying to help his crew while controlling the heated teenager. A part of her says to stop but her legs are fast and she can climb faster then the boat crew ever could. "Emma please!" Killian screams angrily at her. She stops in her tracks at the top of the cliff, out of breath.

"They are trying to punish me!" Emma screams back, more forcefully then she intended, "I can't let them do this!"

"Can you just… HOLD ON!" Hook screams back, running to climb where she had, leaving the crew to pull up the rest of the boats. Emma waits, watching him climb with his hook for a hand. He's actually rather good at it for a man with one hand and he scrambles up the mountain the best he can. The crew is dragging behind but Emma doesn't need to wait for them. She doesn't even know why she's waiting for Hook but she does.

He grunts loudly as he pulls himself up. One leg over the other, his hook snagging onto a branch and he's off the cliffs, once again facing Emma. His forehead is covered in sweat, his hair rustled by the wind and his body is hunched over as he catches his breath, breathing hard. "That's harder then it looks with a hook for a hand," Killian grumbles, ripping off his jacket and tossing it aside so he's only wearing a white v-neck shirt that is sticking to his chest hair.

He looks more human like this and Emma can't help but smile at him. He looks less intimidating and as much as she hates to admit it, more handsome. "Shall we?" Hook asks her, looking at the caves in front of them, his breathing still harsh from the climb.

"Guess so," Emma replies, not waiting for him to start walking. She wants to lead this battle. After all, they were here because of her.

They both stand in front of the caves and even from outside it's obvious that the light from outside isn't going to be enough to light their path. Emma turns to Killian, she can feel the heat of magic in her body and knows it will come easy for her to conjure what she feels. "Don't judge me," Emma says simply before spreading her fingers, releasing magic from her palm, like a fire in her hands. Hook eyes the flame with caution and Emma breathes in sharply, hoping he doesn't look at her like a freak of nature. She knows how worried Killian gets with magic. But he just takes a deep breath and nods to her.

"Stay here boys," Hook says, turning to the crew that had just crawled their way up to cliffs. They all hold various weapons of choice, ready to kill at the order but they all relax a bit at the Captain's voice. Emma just shakes her head at them. They all seemed rather buffoonish to her, following Hook around like a group of lost puppies.

"Let's go," Killian says to Emma, drawing her attention back to him. He always drew the attention back to him. He starts to lead them into the cave but Emma steps in front of him, blocking his path.

"I have the light so… I think it's best I lead," Emma smirks at him. Hook looks down at her, his face full of surprise and he opens his mouth as if to talk back but stops himself. Emma eyes him warily, preparing for him to scream at her but he doesn't, just looking at her curiously.

"As you wish," He says finally, raising his eyebrows at her but keeping his mouth shut, letting her lead.

"I have the light it makes sense," Emma argued back, walking into the cave ahead of him.

"Yeah yeah," Killian says, shaking his head at her, "let's go find my wife."

* * *

Emma's bare feet crunch on pebbles that litter the floor of the cave but she barely feels anything. Her feet as so calloused at this point that she doubts shoes would even help her in the slightest. Nonetheless, she can't help but feel a little underdressed next to Hook, who's tight leather pants and black boots make her scraps of clothing look like she is his prisoner rather then a fellow traveller. Just despite him, she makes a point to stay just a few feet ahead, not wanting to be treated like another buffoon of a follower that waits patiently for her Captain's orders.

"I hear something," Hook whispers, bringing Emma out of her competitive mindset and back to reality. A very soft thump echoes every fraction of a second, the sound reaching Emma's ears the minute she stops walking.

"This way," Emma whispers, nodding to the Captain to confirm he wasn't crazy. The caves are dark and twisted but Emma doesn't let that slow her down. She's practically running down the twisty paths within the cave but she isn't worried about getting lost. The sounds of a heartbeat get louder now and she knows they must be closing in on the source. She makes a quick turn and stops short, her eyes meeting a new kind of light that she wasn't entirely expecting. Killian stops behind her, stupefied. They were in the middle of a deep cavern and there were no signs of holes above them to let in sunlight. Emma runs through scenarios in her head deciding it must be magic creating the blue glow ahead of her. Excitement takes over and Emma starts to walk again, her feet barely moving before Killian yells behind her.

"Slow down, lass," Killian says, his feet following in hers. Something in his tone makes Emma listen to him and she slows down just a little to turn back to him. The light is only a few hundred feet away from them, too far away to make out the exact source but Emma knows that it must be the culprit of the soft thumping in the walls. Killian seems to be realizing that too and as a result, has planted his feet where he so as not to move.

"I… I," The Captain avoids her gaze, looking at the blue light and then turning his head to look back where they came. The thought wanders through Emma's mind that he might not know what to do if she really is right. That this could be Milah. But Emma is only a child, and he seems to pick himself up before she has a chance to think of a way to comfort him.

"Nevermind. Let's go," Hook says, more confidence in his voice. Emma looks at him, desperately wanting to help but she has never been a voice of reason. No one had ever looked at her for emotional support.

"Are you okay?" Emma starts.

"I said go!" Hook says again, a little more aggressively this time and it makes Emma jump. She turns back on her heel apologizing quietly.

Her feet move quickly now, followed swiftly by Hook. The light gets closer and closer to them and Emma reaches the clearing first, a gasp on her lips as she realizes that they are not alone.

"Killian stop!" She screams, watching helplessly as knots pull at her feet, a net pulling from below her. Emma screams as the net flies her up high into the clearing of the cave. Something shimmering surrounds the net. _There must be a spell on it,_ Emma thinks to herself, but it doesn't stop her from trying. Fire escapes from her palms, followed by ice, rocks, and any wave of magic she can conjure up from within her inner rage. None of it seems to work.

"There's no point in trying that, _lass,"_ Felix's voice rings out from below her, walking slowly into view followed by Tootles. _Tootles._

"Tootles!" Emma screams from behind the thick ropes, trying to turn her body to him. If anyone were to listen to her, it would be him. He looks up at the sound of his name. He was still so young, innocence smiling back at her. He was still the small ten year old she remembered.

"Emma?" He says, confusion on his face, "You're… You're the traitor?"

"What? No! No I would never turn against you!" Emma yells back, but he looks over at the dreaded pirate standing in the doorway of the cavern and then back to Emma. Fear crosses his eyes.

"You brought a pirate here? To Peter's mother?" Tootles asks, honest curiosity behind his words.

"Yes, she did. This is a sacred place. A place Peter asked US to protect… You do want to protect this place don't you?" Felix says to Tootles, raising his eyebrows at him. Tootles nods to him eagerly, somewhat ignoring Emma's continued cries to him.

"This isn't a sacred place! She is suffering! She is his wife!" Emma screams, her eyes locking with Hook who has pulled the blade out of his side, silently watching the interaction between her and the Lost Boys. He looks distressed, his jaw tight. It's not like they weren't expecting threats, but they had been so naïve.

"Well Peter's covered this place in magic. No one will be able to touch his precious wife," Felix laughs simply, eyeing Hook with a bored expression across his face, "And we have some orders for the girl," He adds, smirking up to Emma who bares her teeth at him, "Although I'm not sure why Peter would want anything to do with an ugly Duck like you." Felix sneers at her and Emma swears she will punch that boy when she gets out of here. _If_ she gets out of here.

"She's not going with you," Hook growls at them.

"What are you going to do about it _pirate_ ," Felix spits at him, pulling two blades on him and turning his lean teenage body to face the strong pirate in front of him. A reciprocal look of male aggression is plastered across their faces.

"I've never liked Lost Boys," Killian spits at him, his eyes switching to Tootles but the boy is standing away, not knowing what to do. Felix laughs and Killian's wrists move instinctively towards the sound. The blade moves with experience, soaring above Killian's head and down in an attempt at harming Felix but he's too slow in his movements. The teenager gasps, rolling out of the path of the sword. "Is that all you've got, _Hook,_ " Felix growls. Emma can see the flames firing in Killian's face and he growls loudly, swiping his sword again at Felix who fights back, using one of his blades to delay any damage the sword could do.

"You are a pathetic excuse of a pirate!" Felix screams, pushing the sword out of his path and jumping at the pirate who just shoves the boy down, using his sword like a spear towards Felix's arm.

"Ah!" Felix grunts, the sword cutting him in the forearm, but it is only to distract him and the next swipe comes down to his face. Emma scream but Felix seems to sense Hook's next move and pushes himself back, still holding his arm in pain.

Emma watches helplessly from above them, holding her breath. The Lost Boy is quick in his return and Emma closes her eyes. Using one of his knives, Felix whips his wrist, aiming for Hook's arm, in an attempt to make the Captain drop his weapon and Emma hopes beyond hope it misses. The swish of the knife against Hook's skin makes him gasp but it passes above his wrist, barely missing him. Hook laughs loudly in a big booming growl of a laugh, his temper clearly rising fiercely the more the boy fights. Felix makes a sound of annoyance but his eyes are still watching Hook. Both of them are on edge, waiting for the other to make a move.

"What's the matter, lass? Can't keep up?" Hook spits, raising his eyebrows. Hook's smirk is still on his face as he moves his sword easily, pushing down on Felix's other blade, a much smaller one that Felix tries to use against the Captain's but it is no match for a sword and the blade falls easily from Felix's grasp, falling to the floor where Killian can kick it away from him.

"I am done fighting you children," Killian whispers, his blade at Felix's throat, mere inches from slicing through his skin. Felix stands still, taunting him.

"Do it then," Felix growls.

"STOP!" Emma screams, "Killian don't!" Her words make him jump and his eyes seem to return to normal but he doesn't stop looking at Felix.

"One day," Killian whispers, but his face is much calmer and he turns his blade to the other end, bringing the butt of his sword down of Felix's head. Emma watches his body crumble to the floor.

"Is he?"

"No, just knocked out," Hook says, his eyes falling on Tootles, "And what to do with you."

"No! No… he's my friend. Don't hurt him," Emma yells down to them, her feet struggling to get out of the net.

"GET ME DOWN!" She screams, anger flaring inside her, magic pushing from her fingertips but she can't get out.

"Do you know how to get her down, lass?" Hook asks Tootles, both watching Emma throw a fit above them.

"There's a rope attached to the net," Tootles says, pointing at the rope behind Emma that is holding her up above them.

"Thank you," Hook says slowly, eyeing Tootles warily but walking over to the rope, swinging his blade towards the knots and letting Emma fall to the ground with an oomph.

"I swear I will kill him! I will kill…oh," Emma's fury seems to blaze out as a small body grabs at hers, hugging her close.

"I missed you," Tootles whispers to her, her arms around her neck. She smiles, feeling the anger leave her face and her hands reach down to hug him too.

"I missed you too," Emma says softly, holding him close to her. It was true. After everything with the Lost Boys she had assumed that they were out of her life forever. She found that she was grateful for the little arms around her throat.

"Aye, children," Killian says, looking at them with disdain.

"Oh, yes! I'm sorry!" Emma shakes her head, separating herself from the Lost boy to focus on the matter at hand.

"First things first," Emma says while turning to Felix. She waves her hand at the knocked-out boy so that ropes tie around his wrists and ankles and a piece of cloth covers his mouth, keeping him from yelling too much when he wakes up. She thinks for a second but then waves again, sending bandages around Felix's arm. She sees Hook laugh, looking impressively at her abilities. Emma just smiles a little in return, focusing back on the blue light above them. They can't see much from this angle, but there is wisps of something brown that pass their side of the orb every couple seconds and Emma has a feeling that it's Milah's hair.

"Alright… I'm not quite sure how to do this…," Emma admits, chewing on her lip nervously. She expects Hook to start screaming at her but he doesn't, his eyes transfixed on the orb above them.

"Just try," He says finally, his eyes still focused on the energy of the room. Emma takes a deep breath, trying to summon all of her emotions in her body. Anger has always worked best for her and she focuses on images of her past, closing her eyes and letting her mind wander to the past.

 _"You stupid girl!" A woman screams into her ear, the spit practically coming at her face in hatred._

 _"You belong with the dogs," She hears, the voice ringing loudly from her past_

 _"She's not one of us. She'll never be a lost boy," Felix growls, an image of the Lost boys all facing her with disgust in their eyes._

 _Images of being pushed and beaten overtake her mind, fueling the heat in her chest._

Just the few images are enough to cause her to gasp in the thoughts of her horrible past. She can't think of more. She just can't.

"Emma!" Tootles screams, and she opens her eyes, seeing the flames of magic spurting out of her body like blood.

"Stay back!" Emma yells back, aiming her hands up to the orb above them. Her magic pulls and twists with the orb, altering the light on the sides but the blue light remains unmoved.

"Ah," Emma groans, grinding her teeth. She can feel the pull and push through her veins, shaking her bones with power. "I can't… I can't….Ah," Emma feels her body crumpling to the floor in pain. Her chest is on fire and breathing comes out heavy as sweat drips from her forehead. The magic out of her fingers slows to nothing, leaving her lying on the floor with the orb unchanged.

"What happened?!" Hook screams, confusion covering his face.

"It didn't work," Emma spits. _How could he not see that?_

"Try again," Killian yells, reaching for Emma but she swats him away.

"It's not going to…"

"Please… please try again," He pleads with her. She doesn't want to look into his eyes but she does, seeing the need in his eyes.

"I… I don't know what to do," Emma says back, her voice fragile and child-like but she can't help it. Her body feels so weak against the cavern floor.

"Why do you want to hurt Peter's mother?" Tootles asks quietly.

"I don't want to hurt her, Tootles… I'm trying to save her," Emma tries not to roll her eyes but her ignorance is clear in her teenage voice.

"It looked like you were trying to burn her… Why would she come out with flames of magic around her?" Tootles asks. The question was simple enough and Emma sighs laying her head down on the ground. He was so naïve… or was he?

"Do you think anger would draw her farther away?" Emma asks, sitting up from the floor. Tootles and Hook seem to look at her confused but she's barely acknowledging their presence.

"No no of course not. Of course anger wouldn't work. She needs happiness… She needs… love…," Emma rubs her hands on her face, thinking. No images pop into her head. Nothing.

"But… I don't know love…," Emma says quietly. She almost wants to laugh because the pain in her chest hurts so badly. She has no other magic but anger. Why would she?

"What about us?" Tootles asks, walking to Emma's side and reaching for her hand.

"I'm not sure that will…."

"The lad has a point. You care for the boy, yes?" Hook asks and Emma nods in return, focusing on the Lost Boy next to her, feeling his energy run through her body.

"But I'm not sure it's enough," Emma says to Hook. She's not sure why she asks him, why she looks up at him but he seems to understand and he walks to her other side, reaching for the other hand. His hand is bigger then hers and it's rough on her skin but warm and Emma smiles at him.

"This is my love for my wife," Killian says, trying to clear the air, "Not that you aren't a lovely girl but…"

"I understand," Emma laughs. Her teenage hormones pound loudly in her heart though, and she can feel her cheeks blushing. She shouldn't have a crush on the most feared pirate in Neverland but she was never very good at controlling her emotions. Especially when he was in danger just moments before. Instead she lets the warmth from their hands run through her body, trying to grasp at their energy as a source of fuel. Tootles holds on tighter and she smiles, hope filling her body.

"I can feel it… I can feel the energy…," Emma nods, planting her feet on the floor of the cavern so as to allow the energy of the room to swarm through her feet, filling her body with the last thread of love left in this place.

This time she doesn't tell them to move back, her magic won't hurt them. Instead she aims her hands up, her fingers laced tightly to her friends, and lets the magic run out of her slowly. It's white, like a liquid cloud escaping her body and she looks at it in wonder. She had never seen that type of magic before. Slowly the light drifts up to the orb, surrounding the sides tightly in it's grasp. Her body still feels the tug of the orb, but it is much easier this time, the orb's walls falling slowly around a beautiful sleeping woman, revealing her to the elements.

Long brown hair that is braided throughout covers the pale skin and dark features of the woman's body as she is lowered slowly to the cavern floor.

"Milah… Emma you… you did it…," Hook says quietly. Emma releases his hand quickly, letting him run to the woman now lying on the floor. The white magic stops as soon as she breaks free, pushing the room into darkness.

"Milah… Milah!" Hook screams, his hands reaching for her, lifting her off the floor into his arms. She is unmoving and her eyes only lift for a moment.

"She's so weak… Milah!" Killian screams louder, trying to get through to the woman in his arms, "please!"

"Emma," Tootles says softly, moving closer to her for protection.

"I know Tootles," Emma whispers back. She can feel what Tootles feels. There is a strange shift in the cavern. Everything is going dark and Emma lights her hand again for a source of light, hoping to brighten up the room, but it doesn't seem to be doing as much as it should. In fact, the flame is moving in her hand as if someone is trying to blow it out. The woman?

"Hook… It's time to go. We have to go," Emma says, feeling her heart racing in her chest. Darkness creeps across the room. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong. "I don't think that she is what you think she is," Emma adds.

"No… I will not leave her," Killian says back, his eyes still on the woman dying in his arms.

"Killian NOW!" Emma screams, her eyes shifting between the room around them and the woman on the floor. Suddenly a gasp escapes Milah's lips.

"Oh no… oh no," Emma shuts her eyes, she doesn't want to watch. She can feel the energy change, this isn't right. Nothing is right.

"Milah?" Killian asks quietly. Silence overcomes the room and then a shrill scream escapes the woman's lips, a scream so painful that it shakes Emma to her core with the pain of a thousand years of torture.

"NONE CAN ESCAPE THE DARKNESS!" Milah gasps, her eyes widening in fear, her shivers between words scaring even her husband. Her body twists wildly as she screams in Killian's arms, "NONE ESCAPE A BLACK HEART!"

"MILAH! It's me, it's your husband!" Hook tries to shake her, still holding tightly to her flailing body. A tear sheds from his eyes, watching his wife in pain.

"Please… please."

Emma doesn't know who Killian is pleading to but her heart pangs with guilt all the same. She takes a step forward. They've come this far.

"Let me try," Emma cries, running to his side. The woman's body is shaking too much for her to touch her body and Emma tries to wrap her hands around the woman's cheeks. There is dark magic in her soul and Emma can feel it in her fingertips.

"Her heart," Emma says quietly but she knows there is no need for her to explain to Killian that his wife has been exposed to darkness for too long. That a black heart will not beat on it's own. Emma focuses her energy, trying to reach for the light powers that she had before. Little white wisps glow out of her hands into Milah's body.

"Maybe I can add some light to her before it's too late," Emma whispers, but the light is not enough. "Please work please work please work," Emma chants to herself, pleading with the magic in her hands. Another gasp escapes Milah's lips and her body stops shaking, her eyes fluttering.

"Milah.. MILAH!" Killian yells, watching the woman's eyes flutter, trying to stay open.

"I love you," She whispers, her eyes meeting Killian's. She doesn't say anything else, her lips practically white with death and Emma wonders how she's even speaking.

"I love you too," He whispers back. Emma stares between the two of them, feeling incredibly out of place with her hands on Milah's cheeks.

"I'd better leave," Emma says, releasing her magic from Milah's face. Shrill screams escape again from the woman's mouth and Emma screams in return, true fear in her eyes, "Ugh!" Emma yells, putting her hands back to Milah's cheeks but it doesn't work, the blank expression taking over Milah's body.

"What's happening!" Killian screams, holding tightly to his wife. The screams start to fade, rapidly and Emma grabs at his wife but it does nothing. "Emma help her!" He screams at the child but she shakes her head.

"She's not meant to live Killian...," Emma says, "She's not supposed to be alive. You need to let her go. She is not your wife anymore!" Emma screams, her hand reaching for the pirate but he shoves her off, his hands shaking Milah, trying to awaken her.

"Milah…Milah…no," Hook's eyes close and he pulls the woman close to him, holding her to his chest and cradling the lifeless body. Emma watches them, a pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach.

"You could have saved her! You helped her! Why did you let go!?" He screams at Emma but she just shakes her head at him, backing away from them.

"It wouldn't have kept her alive for much longer. I'm sorry," Emma whispers, "A black heart can't be fixed you know that."

"EMMA!" this time it is Tootles turn to yell at her and Emma screams out, covering her ears. She is too young for this, she is not in charge, she is just a child.

"WE NEED TO GO!" Tootles screams and Emma doesn't understand why the room is still so dark, why the woman was turning the room so dark.

"My wife…" Killian whispers and all three of them look up to see Milah rising out of his arms, spinning in the air.

"Whatever that is… it isn't your wife… She's just a shadow. Pan's shadow," Emma whispers and sure enough, Milah's body starts to disappear as she turns, dust flying into the walls of the cavern, no more screams, no pain, just dust.

"She's free," Emma whispers, as the cave plunges once again into a silent darkness. As Emma's hands let out light, she can see the dark eyes of a Captain looking at betrayal. Nothing blows at her hands, and the light burns brightly, but Hook's eyes don't leave her sight.

"You were wrong, Swan," He grits through his teeth.

"I'm sorry… I didn't know what would happen I…"

"Don't talk back to your Captain," Hook growls, raising his arm to aim his hook at her cheek.

"I am not your…" Emma starts but Hook laughs manically.

"Oh but you lost, love. She was not alive," Hook grimaces, tears streaking down his face and Emma feels pure fear in her stomach, "You better bow down, Swan," The Captain curses in the shadows of her shaking hands, "You are a part of my crew now."

* * *

A/N: _Hope everyone enjoyed that chapter! As you can tell things will/are getting a bit darker for awhile as things heat up but Emma's not a child anymore and her life will start to fall more into place as we get into further chapters! Thank you to all my readers and followers I hope I haven't disappointed. We are only 1-2 chapters away from some reallyyy heated up scenes and I am very excited to share some of that with you guys! Thanks!_


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